Did It Hurt?
by happycabbage
Summary: After both his and Draco's Guardian Angels come to Earth to protect their charges, Harry begins to discover things about himself that no one would have ever thought possible. 6th year AU, HPDM, nonhumans, ADOPTION OPPORTUNITIES, SEE PROFILE FOR DETAILS
1. OMG It's Raining Malfoys

Author's Note: This I know for a fact will contain the following, so don't say I didn't warn you. There will be language, violence, and yaoi relationships (I am fond of those, aren't I?), but not until later.

Disclaimer: (sigh) not my world, characters, places, or story, except for Diana, a later character called Orion, and this little spin-off plot line from where Jo left off at the end of book five. Non-HBP.

Please note that I am not religious in any way, shape, or form, so the concept of angels in this storyline is completely out of what I imagine them to be. Please don't bite my head off if my concept clashes with your own, I am not trying to shove any kind of religion _or_ atheism down your throats.

As a note for those who have read this story before, I didn't really like how the first couple of chapters turned out the first time, so while I am trying to get over my writer's block for chapter five, I am rewriting parts of the first four chapters. That's why this may seem different than before.

On with the story!

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Did it Hurt?

Ch 1) Oh My God, It's Raining Malfoys…

Harry watched as Hedwig launched off of his arm into the sky. It was a clear night, and while his owl flew around the lake, he watched the stars. One star in particular.

"Sirius," he murmured as he looked at the dog-star. His godfather's star, he liked to think. "Sirius, I wish you were still here. I don't know what to do anymore."

Harry went and sat under his favorite tree, by the lake, a massive oak stripped of leaves in the cold November weather. Shivering, he pulled his cloak closer about his shoulders. He should go back in soon; even with his invisibility cloak there was still a chance of being discovered by Filch or Mrs. Norris. Harry really didn't want to be in detention for the majority of the year again. But he could wait a little longer.

He sat staring longingly at the star named Sirius, wishing it could be more than a star. He needed his godfather's loveand support. He was honestly at a loss as to what to do anymore. With the prophecy out in the open and looming over his head, he knew what it was he had to do, but had no idea about how to go about it.

He wished more than ever that Sirius was here beside him. He missed have comfort in the knowlege that there was someone in the world who cared about him enough to put him before anything and everything else. He needed that support. Ron and Hermione were great, but they had problems and worries of their own.

More than half of Ron's family were members of the Order, doing their best to protect the panicking civilians of the Wizarding World as Voldemort's terrorism spread and grew. As for Hermione, after her father was killed in a Death Eater attack at the small town they lived in over the summer, her mother and seven-year-old sister had been moved to a safehouse along with the families of many other Muggleborn students for their own protection.

After the stunts Dumbledore had pulled last year, Harry was not very pleased with the Headmaster. He had opened his eyes somewhat to some of the Leader of the Order's actions, and was growing uncertain of his feelings towards the man. On the one hand, Dumbledore did mean well and was great at motivating the people of the Wizarding World to fight Voldemort's tyranny. On the other hand, he seemed almost hesitant to start any battles, preferring to wait until Voldemort attacked and fight him then, picking up the broken pieces afterwards with well-practiced ease. But that would not win a war.

Harry sighed and ground the palms of hishands into his eyes, trying to distract himself and think of something else before he went crazy. He let his hand drop to his lap and let his head drop back against the trunk of the tree, his eyes wandering across the night sky again.

A sudden streak of blinding white light moving across the sky caught his attention. _What's that supposed to be?_ Harry mused. _It's moving in pretty fast. Too fast for an airplane. Maybe it's a U.F.O…._

He watched it flash across the sky. To his surprise it was moving in his direction. It passed the castle, just narrowly missing the astronomy tower. It appeared to have just brushed against it, judging from the fact it moved in a squiggly pattern now, like it had been thrown offcourse.

Fascinated, Harry watched as it came in low on the other side of the lake, then landed hard on the ground, making dirt fly every which way. The light dissipated somewhat, but a silvery glow still emanated from the spot where the thing had stopped. The light pulsed softly, slowly growing fainter.

His curiosity piqued, Harry couldn't help but get up to go have a look. He rose from his seat at the base of the bare-branched oak and walked around the outside edge of the lake to the crash site. By the time he reached the crashed thing, the light had all together disappeared. Glittery white feathers were strewn all over the ground. Harry picked one of them up. It was soft and warm, and it gave him him a odd feeling, like he was safe, like nothing could hurt him, when he rubbed his fingers over it. What a weird feather.

Putting the odd feather into his pocket, Harry carefully picked his way through the wreckage to the center of the area. What he saw made him stop short.

At first he could've sworn… but no, it couldn't be him. Malfoy was up at the castle, fast asleep. Wasn't he?

As he edged closer, Harry realized for sure that this person that was kneeling, head bowed, arms limp, in the middle of the rubble wasn't the prince of Slytherin. For one thing, _he_ would never wear white if he could help it, and this person was completely clothed in pure white shimmery robes that, while torn and ripped, were surprisingly still clean and gleaming white despite having crashed into the dirt. Also, this person was very obviously female. Last he'd checked, Malfoy was definitely a guy.

And then there was the fact that she had a pair of enormous, glistening, silver wings growing out of her back.

Even as Harry watched in shock, the wings faded out of sight, leaving behind the scattered sparkling feathers as the only proof they'd ever been there. The girl lifted her head weakly, looking up at him with dazed silvery eyes, before slumping facedown on the ground.

Harry snapped out of his daze and ran the last bit of the way to her side, throwing himself down next to her and hesitantly putting a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, are you alright?"

She didn't move or respond.

He shook her shoulder gently, trying to wake her up. "Hello?"

Harry carefully turned her over so he could see her frontside. Yep, definitely a girl. Were it not for that fact, Harry would have been convinced that this person he had watched fall from the sky _was_ Malfoy. She certainly looked exactly like him.

Then again, maybe it really was him, under some spell or curse. Stranger things had happened in Harry's life. Mentally, Harry scolded himself. There weren't any spells to change one's gender. It was as impossible as bringing back the dead.

His attention was caught by the strange necklace she was wearing, a pentagon-shaped ruby pendant on a long, fine, gold chain. When Harry picked it up, it was warm to the touch. He felt a little jolt of electricity pass through his fingertips, and he dropped it onto the ground quickly. He shook the strange feeling off and turned his attention back to the girl.

She was unconscious, but she was breathing. She didn't appear harmed in any way. She might have been sleeping.

Unable to find anything wrong with her, Harry shook her gently. "Er, miss? Wake up!" She didn't stir or answer. Not sleeping then. She might be hurt internally, and that's why she didn't respond. Great, what was he supposed to do now?

Oh. Right. Hospital Wing.

Duh.

Harry picked her up gently and started carrying her swiftly up to the castle. He hoped she wasn't too badly hurt. He was really curious as to who she was and why she looked exactly like his arch-rival. Hedwig swooped down and landed easily on his shoulder, hooting softly.

"I have to take her to the Hospital Wing, girl," he murmured to the owl. "You'll have to get back to the Owlery yourself. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

She nipped his ear affectionately, then took off into the night.

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He brought the girl who looked like Malfoy into the Hospital Wing and laid her down on the nearest bed. Then he went over and knocked on Madame Pomfrey's office door, hoping she was there. He needn't have worried, he realized, as she opened the door two seconds later. Did the woman ever sleep? It was as though she was eternally waiting for people to get sick or hurt so she could torture – er, heal – them.

"Mr. Potter? It's almost midnight! What are you doing up?"

_I could ask you the same thing. Geez, she hasn't even changed out of her uniform!_

"I, er, couldn't sleep," he said hesitantly, wondering if she would punish him for being out after curfew, "So I went for a walk around the lake. And, I, er, found this girl…" he gestured to the girl on the bed behind him.

Madame Pomfrey needed no further encouragment. She pushed past him and made a beeline to the girl. She immediately started casting a few diagnostic spells while Harry nervously stood beside her.

"I don't know what's wrong with her. She, er, kind of…fell from the sky. There's a big pile of rubble by the lake where she landed, if you want a look. There was this big streak of light, like a comet, that crashed over there, and when I went to see what it was, and I found her in the middle of it. She didn't look injured, but I couldn't get her to wake up, so I brought her here."

Madame Pomfrey stopped casting spells and lifted the strange necklace from where it lay against the girl's collarbone, then looked up, frowning, and Harry stopped his babbling. "Well, Mr. Potter, thank you for bringing her up, but there appears to be nothing wrong with her. Heart rate – fine, breathing – fine, no fever, no internal bleeding, nothing. In fact, aside from the fact she won't wake up, she's in perfect health. You said she fell from the sky?"

He nodded, waiting for her to force him down on a bed demanding to check for brain damage. People don't just fall from the sky!

To his surprise, however, she just nodded as though it were perfectly normal. "Well, then that would explain it," she said.

Harry blink and stared at her, confused.

Noticing his expression, she continued. "Well, think about it! If you had just fallen out of the sky you'd probably pass out too!"

Harry opened his mouth in surprise but was saved from having to respond by the stirring of the girl on the bed.

"Ooh, that hurt!" she said, putting a hand to her forehead. She looked up. Her eyes were the same beautiful stormy-grey that Malfoy's were. _And why would I notice what color Malfoy's eyes are?_ Harry thought to himself, blushing a little.

"I missed the tower, didn't I?" she asked them. Harry stared at her. She had been aiming to hit the tower? He nodded slowly.

"Ooh, rats! Now I'll have to go find him! Unless you could do it for me?" She looked hopefully up at Harry. "Could you do that, please? Go and fetch Draco Malfoy for me? You know who he is, right?" Harry nodded again, completely thunderstruck, unable to speak. "Oh, good! That makes things easier – wait, you're _him_, aren't you? Oh, you are! That's even better! Hurry now, and fetch Draco for me, would you? He should be at the top of the Astronomy Tower."

She flashed a grin at him before turning to answer the questions Madame Pomfrey was asking her in a rush. Harry stood for moment, frozen to the spot in confusion, before he finally got his feet to move. In a daze, Harry left the Hospital Wing and made his way from there to the Astronomy Tower, putting on his invisibility cloak to avoid trouble with Filch.

When he got there, he stopped just inside the doorway of the ground floor of the enormous tower, leaning back against the heavy wooden door to take a moment to gather his jumbled thoughts. _What the bloody hell is going on?_ He thought to himself.

Looking up the long staircase, Harry sighed. He really didn't want to have to climb all the way up those stairs. Suddenly he noticed a figure walking down the steps.

"Malfoy!"

The blonde looked up from his feet and the pensive look on his face turned to a scowl. "Potter! What are you doing here?"

"I came to get you."

Malfoy looked at him incredulously. "What? It's midnight! Come off it! You aren't satisfied with our fighting during the day, you have to follow me all over the castle after hours to start fights as well?"

"Don't be stupid!" Harry growled back, "There's someone in the Hospital Wing asking for you. I came to find you. And in any case, _you_ are the one who starts the fights."

Malfoy just sneered. "Whatever. Hey – how did you know I'd be up here?" Malfoy frowned at Harry suspisciously.

"She said you would be. The person that wanted to see you, I mean. Don't ask me how, she just knew."

Malfoy frowned. "Why would someone in the Hospital Wing want to see me, and how would they know where to find me at midnight?"

Harry looked at Malfoy curiously. Did that mean…

Realizing what he'd said, Malfoy bit his lip and looked warily at Harry.

"You mean you come here every night, Malfoy?" Harry asked.

Hesitantly, the blonde nodded. "Yes. I come here to think. It's quiet and there's no one to bother me. And the view is amazing."

Harry blinked. "Okay, Malfoy, whatever floats your boat," he said slowly.

Malfoy looked at him quizzically, and Harry grimaced. "Muggle expression, Malfoy," he told him, exasperated.

"No, I know that," Malfoy said irritably, "I just don't get what you mean by it. I thought you of all people might be able to understand why I want peace and quiet. I see you out every night, too, down by the lake. I thought that was your thinking spot."

Harry just blinked again.

Malfoy shrugged. "Like I said, the view is amazing."

Once again, realizing too late what he'd said, this time Malfoy blushed brilliantly. "I mean…I didn't…I just…"

Harry couldn't help it, he started laughing, making Malfoy turn a brighter shade of red. "Shut up, Potter! I meant the view of the grounds!"

"Of course, Malfoy. The grounds, and everything on them!" Harry grinned wickedly. "I didn't know you swung that way, Malfoy!"

"Well, you don't seem to be having much of a problem with it!" Malfoy shot back, shutting Harry up instantly.

"C'mon, your friend is waiting," Harry said. Malfoy was the one grinning wickedly now, his trademark cocky smirk gracing his face with his victory. He started back down the stairs but tripped over his robes. In pure Malfoy-drama fashion, he fell spectacularly down the last few steps – and landed right on top of Harry, crashing them both to the floor.

They both groaned in pain, Harry rubbing the back of his skull where it cracked against the stone floor, Malfoy gripping the chest of the other boy's robes as he struggled to rise. When they realized just where Malfoy had landed, both froze, staring at one another. Malfoy was lying right on top of Harry, their bodies flush against one another. Their faces were centimeters apart. Harry could smell Malfoy's cologne.

Very suddenly, Malfoy jerked back, picking himself up off the other boy as quickly as possible while he tried to regain his composure. "Thanks for breaking my fall, Potter," he sneered. Harry made no response.

"Potter?"

Harry lay unmoving, still in shock. Rolling his eyes, Malfoy grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him to his feet. "Come on, Potter. Take me to this visiter of mine."

Finally snapping out of it, Harry led the way out the heavy oak door and towards the Hospital Wing.

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The girl looked up when they walked in and smiled at the sight of the two teens. "Yay, you're here! And – oh goodie, Harry, you came back, too!"

Harry's mouth opened in surprise. "You know my name?"

She giggled. "Of course I know your name, honey!"

She turned to Malfoy then. "And here is the one I came to see in the first place! Hello! How are you doing, sweetie?"

Malfoy just gaped at her.

"What's wrong, Draco-sweetie?"

"You, er, you look like…like…like – "

"Like you?" she said shrewdly, raising an eyebrow. He nodded. "Of course I do! What'd you expect?"

"Er, I don't mean to be rude or anything, obviously you know me, but, who are you?" Malfoy said hesitantly.

She looked slightly crestfallen. "Who am I? You mean you don't recognize me?"

"Should I?" Malfoy said faintly. "I don't know. You look just like me, but, you're a girl."

She snorted. "Thanks for noticing. Yes, I am, as you so eloquently put it, a girl."

Malfoy blushed while Harry wondered how he had gotten wrapped up into this.

"So, what's your name, then? And, er, how do you know me?" Draco asked.

She sighed softly. "Damn it. Obviously people don't remember the legends as well as they used to. Now I'll have to explain everything myself." She pouted for a bit, then continued. "My name is Diana. And I, Draco-sweetie, am your guardian angel."

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End Chapter 1.

And so it begins! Again!


	2. The Legend of the Guardians

Author's Note: Language, violence, Yaoi (That be two boys together), umm…not much else, and nothing too bad just yet. If Yaoi disturbs you, just don't read it.

Disclaimer: … come on, you'd have to be a complete idiot to think this is really mine. 'Tis Ms Rowling's. Except for Diana and Orion. Those two _are_ mine.

Okay, wow, I didn't expect this to get such good results. I had it up for twenty minutes and the very first person to look at it was screaming for more. I so happy! You like me! Yay! Anyways, I really didn't expect it to go over so well, but I wanted to get another chapter up anyways.

As a note for those who have read this story before, I didn't really like how the first couple of chapters turned out the first time, so while I am trying to get over my writer's block for chapter five, I am rewriting parts of the first four chapters. That's why this may seem different than before.

Now, go forth! Onwards! Onwards to the chapter! (god I'm such a dork)

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Ch 2) The Legend of the Guardians

"You're my _WHAT_!?"

"You're his _WHAT_!?"

Diana looked at the two boy staring at her and giggled. "Boy, the Fates sure made a good choice in you two. Even as rivals you compliment each other so perfectly!"

"You're an _angel_!?" Draco gasped.

"Of course! Now, first things first. Can you tell me what you know about Guardian Angels? That way I'll know which stories I have to tell and which ones I have to disprove."

Harry stared at her, his breathing hitched. "If you're an angel," he whispered, "Can you tell me about my Godfather? He just died recently, do you know what happened to him?"

She sighed suddenly, looking weary. "Disproving stories, starting with that one. Harry, hon, I'm sorry, but things don't really work that way. Humans don't become angels after they die. They just die, simple as that. Their spirits go to a special realm called Haven. You would call it Heaven, I believe. They wait in Haven to be reborn into someone else. Otherwise, the world, and Haven, would quickly become overfull of lost souls. Human souls don't become something new when they die. I'm sorry, but I don't know what has happened to your Godfather, honey."

Harry nodded and looked down at his feet, blinking back tears.

"So what are Angels, then?" Draco asked her.

"Angels are protectors," she said. "There is one Guardian Angel for every human on the planet, Muggles and Wizards alike. When our charge dies, we are assigned a newborn baby. It's not always the same soul. If our human is in Haven, we have to take care of a new soul. Each time we are assigned a new person, we take on their appearance, which is why I look like you, Draco-sweetie.

"We offer guidance, comfort, even help with physical pains. Have you ever heard of someone able to sense somebody near them, but when they turn around, there's nobody there? Some people are more sensitive to our auras, and the presense that they feel is their Guardian Angel.

"Guardians generally are invisible to human eyes. Technically we're not physically with you. Our physical bodies are in Haven. That's one of the jobs of departed souls while they are there, to take care of the Guardians' bodies. The presence that you feel is our mind, our soul, seperated from our bodies to be with you. However, sometimes if the need of the person is extremely strong, or if the fate of the world depends on your decision, then we are allowed to bust through the barrier between the worlds to have direct contact with our charge. We then become human, so we can help you face-to-face, rather than subtly from the background. Which is why I'm here, Draco-sweetie. You needed some help, so here I am!

"I finally managed to break through the barrier in between this world and Haven tonight. I meant to go straight to the Astronomy Tower, where you were Sweetie, but I missed my target. Sorry about that. I'm not used to flying in this world. It's different than flying in Haven. Especially since my wings were starting to disappear on me only halfway to the ground. So, I believe you were in need of my assistance?"

She beamed at him, but he scowled. "I don't need any help!" he snarled. "I'm doing just fine by myself! Also, how do I know you're telling the truth. I was at the top of the tower, and I didn't see you fall. How do I know this isn't some prank cooked up for me by Potter here?" He glared at Harry.

"I only have one way to prove it," she said calmly. "Harry, do you still have that feather of mine you picked up?"

He nodded, and she held out her hand. "Could I see it, please?"

Harry pulled the small shimmery feather out of his pocket and handed it to her. She cradled it close and blew gently on it. It emitted a beautiful silvery glow. The same glow, Harry noticed, as had surrounded Diana when she fell.

Draco stare, transfixed, at the sparkling feather. When Diana held it out to him, he took it silently, and promptly almost dropped it in surprise. It was warm! He could feel the little electric shocks jolting gently and painlessly through his entire hand. He watched, fascinated, as the glow and the warmth spread up his arm and slowly enveloped his whole body. He had never felt this safe, this warm, this comfortable, before in his life. All was well. Everything was fine.

Slowly the light dissipated, but the warm glow inside remained. Draco handed the feather back to Diana, and when the feather left his hand, the safe feeling didn't disappear entirely, but it lowered in intensity to a pleasant hum throughout his body.

"I believe you," he whispered hoarsely, and the Guardian smiled.

"That's good. Because now that I'm here, I can't get back to Haven until I've succeeded in my mission. I have to prove myself worthy of my wings. If I fail, then I am required by Guardian law to live and die as a human. You accepting my help makes things a lot easier.

"Actually, that's how the whole 'humans become angels when they die' thing was started. If a Guardian dies while in human form here in this world, they return to Haven and become Angels again. So even if a Guardian here on Earth fails in their mission, then once they die they still become a Guardian once more. You could say their time on Earth is like solitary confinement, as penance for failing to protect their charge. And also, it is impossible for a Guardian to commit suicide. It's just a kind of physical incapability. We fail in our mission, we are stuck here, with no escape."

Draco looked at her, dumbfounded. "Well I guess I'd best let you help me then," he managed to say.

She chuckled. "Indeed, Draco-sweetie."

"Will you need anything while you're here?" Draco asked.

"Well, I could probably use some different robes. It's not the best idea for me to flounce around in my Guardian's vestments while I'm here. It would attract too much attention."

The boys eyed her shimmering outfit and agreed. Proper Guardian garb or not, it wasn't very practical to have her running around in her glistening snow-white robes.

"Okay, so new robes. Anything else?"

"A wand. I'll need a wand. But it has to be custom-made. The only kind of wand a Guardian can use is one containing one of their own feathers as the core. Any wood will do, so long as it has my feather for a core. See, we don't use a wand to focus magic, like wizards do. We use a wand to channel our Guardians' power when we are in human form, so that we can still use it. That's why it has to be one of my own feathers."

"Alright, then. We'll go to the wand-shop down in Hogsmeade this weekend. They make custom-made wands, we can get it done there."

"Perfect." She yawned, and Madame Pomfrey came bustling out of her office, where she had been giving them some privacy while Diana explained things to Draco and Harry.

"Alright, that's enough! Diana needs her rest – it's not easy to break through the barrier between the worlds. And you two should be in bed!" She said, glaring pointedly at the two teens.

"Then you know all about Guardian Angels, and everything?" Harry asked curiously.

"Of course!" She said, "I knew Diana was a Guardian the moment Harry told me she'd fallen from the sky. Now go on! Get to bed!"

"Don't worry, Draco-sweetie," Diana murmured sleepily as Madame Pomfrey ushered the two boys to the door. "I'm not going anywhere…I'll see you in the morning."

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End Chapter 2.

I know, it's short, only half as long as chapter one, in fact. But hey! That just means you get more chapters faster!


	3. Death Eater's Strike

Author's Note: Language, violence, gay guy stuff… just my usual drama 

Disclaimer: (sigh) still not mine…obviously…

As a note for those who have read this story before, I didn't really like how the first couple of chapters turned out the first time, so while I am trying to get over my writer's block for chapter five, I am rewriting parts of the first four chapters. That's why this may seem different than before.

I have nothing else worth rambling about, so we'll just skip ahead to the new chapter, shall we?

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Ch 3) Death Eater's Strike

The next day passed comfortably for Harry until dinner, when Malfoy, looking very sulky, told Harry that Diana wanted to speak with both of them in the Hospital Wing as soon as Harry was done eating.

"Wow," Ron said, staring at Malfoy's back as he hastily made his escape from the Great Hall, "I didn't think he was capable of humane interaction with Gryffindors. D'you think he's sick?" he added hopefully.

Hermione rolled her eyes and turned to Harry. "Harry, who's this Diana person he was talking about?" Even the loss of her father and the danger to the rest of her family couldn't squash her thirst for knowledge.

Harry stiffened for a moment before muttering something unintelligible in response. Ah, the age-old saftey mechanism. When in doubt, mumble.

"Sorry, Harry, what was that?"

Dammit. When would Hermione learn to leave well-enough alone? "Um, er, she's a, ah, a mutual friend."

Hermione raised an eyebrow, but seemed to accept it. Or at least, she turned her attention away from Harry and back to her dinner, not really seeing or tasting the food she put in her mouth. Harry eyed her sadly. She had taken the death of her father fairly well, but that made Harry almost more concerned for his friend.

Harry sighed wearily and pushed away the remainder of his food. He got up and left the Great Hall, meeting Draco outside. They headed up to the Hospital wing together, neither speaking.

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Draco was irritated. Diana had woken again shortly after lunch, while he was on a free-period, and insisted on him staying with her the whole time so they could get to know each other. Or rather, since she had kept close watch over him since he had been conceived, so Draco could get to know her.

She had asked before he left for Transfiguration if he would come and see her so they could talk some more before dinner, so here he was. They weren't doing that much talking.

She had avoided the subject of why she was here to begin with for the whole, very non-engaging conversation. Draco suspected he knew what it was about, but he didn't want to bring it up either. He really didn't want to think about it at all.

Which was probably why Diana was here in the first place.

He needed to make an big decision that would affect his entire life, but had been trying not to think about it because it was too stressful. The longer he went without thinking about it, the less time he had to make his decision. And the less time he had to make his decision, the more likely it was he would do something he regretted. Thus his stressed-out behavior.

The problem was that his father wanted him to join the Dark Lord. Draco himself however, was in controversy.

On the one hand, if he refused, then his father, not to mention every other Death Eater, plus the Dark Lord, would be out for his blood. He feared not only for his own life, but his mother's as well. The two of them were incredibly close, and he didn't want anything to happen to her. She was in enough trouble as it was, being that Lucius was pressuring her to join the ranks, while she wanted to remain neutral.

However, he really didn't want to join. Despite his pureblood upbringing, he didn't particularly care one way or the other about the Muggleborns, and he really didn't fancy serving under a madman regardless. From what he had seen from his father and his godfather, Severus, Voldemort tortured and murdered more of his own followers than he did his opposers of late. Also, Draco didn't really feel like going around in a corny outfit raising hell with innocent bystanders.

Draco was at a loss as to what to do, and it was starting to affect him. He had withdrawn into himself slightly, only coming out to spar with the beloved classmates in the rivaling houses. His grades had started to slip. He barely ate, and the majority of his nights were spent at the top of the astronomy tower, thinking about not thinking about his Big Decision coming up.

Despite all this, he had something else that also weighed on his mind. Something that had unnerved him slightly. A growing attraction to the Boy-Who-Lived.

The attraction itself had been there for as long as he remembered knowing Potter. He had always felt inexplicably drawn to the Gryffindor, so much that when the other boy rejected his friendship on the train first year, he spent time with the other young wizard through the only method he could think of. By fighting.

By ensuring a continuous feud with the raven-haired Gryffindor, he was also ensuring a relationship. Certainly not the most healthy relationship, but at least Harry paid attention to him this way.

But lately something had changed. He still felt the silly glee at Potter's reaction to his taunts, but somehow it went deeper. The way Potter's eyes flashed, how his hand would twitch slightly just before drawing his wand, the expression of pure outrage and anger when Draco insulted him or his friends…it was quite intoxicating. Draco didn't know how to explain it.

Before, when he saw Potter across the Great Hall laughing with his friends, he would have been annoyed and slightly jealous, that Harry could laugh and joke with his friends, but not with him. But now, it _hurt_.

He felt a pang in his chest when he saw the Golden Trio spending their glory days together, all happy and warm, and knowing that he could never be a part of that.

"You miss him, don't you?" Diana's voice startled him out of his thoughts.

"What?" Draco said. Mentally, he started slapping himself. _Brilliant, Malfoy. Very witty._

"You miss him. When he's not with you, and even when he is with you, you still miss him."

"You are not making any sense whatsoever. Who are we talking about?" Draco asked, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Harry," she said simply. "You like to have him near, but you hate it at the same time."

"I don't know about the liking him near part, but your right about me hating it. He's bloody annoying, you know? Why would I want him near?"

"Because he fits."

Draco stared at her. "Alright, now you've totally lost me."

Diana sighed and patted the hospital bed next to her. "Come sit here, and I'll explain, Draco-sweetie."

She waited until he was settled and then started up again. "You like Harry to be near you, because you feel a pull towards him. He just seems to exude this aura that says 'hi, it's me, come glomp me,' and it attracts you. Well, actually it attracts nearly everyone who comes into contact with him, but you even more so. It's because you two fit together, like a key and a lock. He is the light to your shadow, he helps to stabilize you. You two have very compatible magic. It's astounding how well the two of you match."

"What are you trying to say?" Draco asked suspiciously. It sounded like she was trying to say that he and Potter were soulmates. Which was entirely ridiculous. Diana, however, ignored his question and continued on.

"On the other hand it hurts to have him near because he shows you everything that you can't have, simply because you are the prince of Slytherin and must do the expected and accepted, for fear of your very life, and for the safety of those you care about. Translation: you _have_ to treat him like crap. You _have_ to be cruel to him and his friends. You _have_ to be the model Death Eater in making.

"But you don't want to. What you want more than anything is to be able to have the same kind of relationship with him as Weasley and Granger get to. You can't stand to have him close because it reminds you of what you can't have, but you need him near for almost the exact same reason."

Draco blinked. "Now you're just starting to scare me."

Diana laughed. "Tell you what, sweetie. You talk to Harry and tell him that I want to speak to both of you together after dinner, okay?"

"Sure, whatever," Draco muttered.

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"Harry-honey! Draco-sweetie! I was beginning to think you two wouldn't show up!" Diana smiled as the two came in the door, but her happy expression faded somewhat when she saw that they were, again, arguing.

"Oh dear," she said to herself as they began to scream in rage at each other.

"TAKE IT BACK!"

"NO! THE LITTLE MUDBLOOD DESERVES NO BETTER!"

"STOP CALLING HER THAT!"

"IT'S WHAT SHE IS!"

"HERMIONE IS A HUMAN BEING! YOU'VE NO RIGHT TO BELITTLE HER LIKE THAT!"

"I'LL DO AS I PLEASE, POTTER!"

Diana decided she ought to cut in before they murdered one another, so, after drawing a deep breath, she bellowed, "ENOUGH!"

Both boys jumped and looked at her. Draco quickly turned his gaze onto his toes as she glared, while Harry just glared right back.

"Now, first of all, Harry, hon, I understand where you're coming from, but do you really think you're going to get him to apologize by screaming at him like that?"

Harry blushed slightly and looked down at his feet, mollified.

"And Draco," she said, waiting for him to look up before continuing. "I am ashamed of you. How dare you judge someone for their heritage! Every person is a gift and deserves to be _celebrated_ for their differences, not insulted! She can't help that she came from a nonmagical family, and there's nothing she can do to stop being Muggleborn, and most important of all, _there is nothing wrong with that!_ Stop being so narrowminded and get your head out of your arse! You should know better than that by now. You are _not_ your father, Draco, so stop trying to be!"

Draco stared at the floor, his face tinted pink and miserable-looking. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"I'm not the one you should be saying that to, Draco," Diana told him gently.

Draco stared at her for a moment, then turned to the darkhaired boy at his side.

"I'm sorry, Potter," he said quietly.

Harry eyed him critically for a moment before nodding. "Apology accepted, Malfoy. But you will still need to apologize to Hermione."

To Harry's obvious surprise, Draco nodded and said quietly, "Okay, then, I will."

Diana smiled at the pair of them. "Great! Now then, to business! I had already informed you two that I will be needing to go to Hogsmeade to pick up some supplies. So, since this weekend is a Hogsmeade weekend, I would very much like it if the two of you would accompany me to the village."

Draco swiftly nodded, but Harry frowned slightly. "I don't know if I can," he said. "Usually Ron, 'Mione and I all go together."

"Hmmm…" Diana said, brow furrowed. "That would be kind of rude…and slightly awkward seeing as they despise Draco-sweetie and don't even know me…"

"Oh, for the love of –" Draco said, exasperated. "The two are obviously crazy about one another. Just tell the Weasel to ask her out already."

Harry and Diana stared at him. Diana beamed at her young charge. "Good idea, Draco-sweetie! That should work out nicely, and they can stop this silly hard-to-get game finally."

Draco smirked.

"Ron and Hermione like each other?" Harry said, completely flabbergasted.

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The weekend came swiftly after that. Harry had managed to talk Ron into asking Hermione to lunch at the Three Broomsticks, leaving him free to go to the village with Diana and Malfoy. He knew Ron would be angry if he found out where Harry would be, so Harry refrained from telling him that he was going to Hogsmeade with Draco Malfoy.

Harry was at a loss as to why Diana wanted him to come with them. After all, she was Malfoy's guardian angel, and he was Malfoy's rival. Still, it was nice to not have to listen to Ron and Hermione bicker and argue the whole trip while still having company. Even if only half of said company was actually nice.

"Hmmm," Diana said as she scanned the large crowd of people in the streets. "This may take while. Maybe we should split up for now. Here, Draco, you go buy some clothes, and Harry can come with me to the wandmakers. We'll meet up at the village pavillion when we're finished, alright?"

"Okay," Harry said. Anything to keep Malfoy away from him.

Draco smirked. "Yes, that would probably be best, since I'm the only human here with any fashion sense."

"Hey!" Harry cried angrily.

Diana just giggled. "I'm sorry to say it, Harry, but he's right."

Harry pouted and grumbled to himself under his breath.

Draco directed them over to a small dusty looking store off to the side of Zonkos. There weren't very many students in or around the store, they seemed more focused on the jokeshop nextdoor.

"There's the wand shop. They do only custom jobs, and are pretty expensive, about twice as much as Ollivanders, but it's well worth it. Here," he said, shoving a pouch filled with Galleons into Diana's hands, "that should cover the cost of the wand."

"Thanks Draco!" she said merrily.

"See you later, Diana, Potter," Draco said, and he separated from his two companions, heading over to the nearest decent clothing store. Diana and Harry went over to the old shop and entered. A soft bell could be heard chiming to alert the storekeeper of their arrival.

The shop may have been small and dusty looking from the outside, but inside, it was quite large, clean, and brightly lit, very different from Ollivander's in Diagon Alley.

The two walls on either side going in were covered with small shelves, on each of which was a crosscut of a tree trunk, so you could see the color and rings of the grain, and trimmed on the edge with the bark of the tree. Each wood was carefully labeled with the Muggle scientific name and the commonplace names.

On the wall opposite the door was a long glass counter that stretched across the entire room. On the left end was a cash register and a wooden cabinet below it, with a small door to let the employees behind the glass cases just next to it. There was a door leading to a back room just behind the register. Inside the glass cases were a few display shelves. Said shelves were covered with a wide paraphernalia of items, each carefully labeled. Those were the cores of the wands.

In the middle of the room were several pieces of machinery that appeared to be run by magic. They lay scattered across the room, though seemingly in a specific order. In between some of them were wooden tables, covered with scattered tools and bits of wood shavings and chips of wand cores.

"Hello!" said a bright and cheery voice with an American accent from behind the counter. Harry and Diana stopped staring wonderingly around the room and focused on the young lady who had greeted them. She was sitting on a stool just behind the cash register, smiling brightly at them. Unlike most store clerks, who kept a sunny disposition because it was demanded of them, the pretty blonde witch looked truly happy to see them.

"We don't get too many customers this time of year. My name is Alora. What can I do for you?"

Diana walked over to the counter and pulled out the feather. "I need a Guardian's wand, if that's possible."

Alora took the feather and looked at it closely. "A Guardian's wand, huh? Haven't done one of those in a while. I assume you are the Guardian?" she said, glancing up at Diana.

"Yes."

"I thought so. You are just the absolute spitting image of one of the students from up at the school, Draco Malfoy. He comes around every now and then, just to visit. Made his wand myself. I won't say what the components were though. That would give anyone who knew them an unfair advantage, as they could counter the wand parts' effects."

Harry looked up at this. "What do you mean?"

"Wand cores and woods are like potion ingredients. Sometimes they combine to enhance their effects, sometimes two different cores are neutral, and other times, if they are incompatible, they can have dangerous results. If you know the core of your enemies wand, you can get a wand that counters and/or is strong against that wand.

"Then there's brother wands, where two wand have cores that are too similar to work properly against one another. This is usually when the cores come from the same creature, plant, or stone, and why it is encouraged to gather enough materials for only one wand from each animal, plant, or thing, or to spread out their usage during the years."

Harry blinked. "That makes sense." He was very intrigued by this. Maybe he'd look in the school library for a book on wand making.

While Diana and Alora began to discuss the making and components of Diana's wand, Harry looked at the different wand cores. He knew that Ollivanders used only three; phoenix feather, dragon heartstring, and unicorn tail hairs. Here, though, there were hundreds of different things.

In the magical creature's section, there were Mermaid scales and hair; Phoenix tears, feathers, ashes, and blood; Werewolf hair; Griffin blood, feathers, and fur; Thestral bone and blood; Grim tooth, claw, and hair; Nymph hair; Roonespoor venom, blood, scales, and bone; Boomslang skin; Fairy wings and hair; Cerberus hair, tooth, and claw; Sphinx hair, fur, and bone; Vampire tooth, ashes, and blood; Hydra venom, scales, and blood; Pixie dust, wings, and hair; Unicorn horn and hair; Hippogriff feathers, fur, and bone; Dragon scales, blood, heartstrings, and ashes; Veela hair; Pegasus feathers and fur; Basilisk scales, venom, and blood; and Acromantula silk, venom, and hair. For magical plants, there were Devil's Snare stems, Venomous Tentacula poison, Mandrake leaves, Gillyweed, Aconite, Whomping Willow leaves, and many more varieties of magical plants that Harry had never heard of. Next to the plants were several different varieties of stone.

"Harry, come on! She's going to show us how to make the wand now!" Diana called. Harry grinned and walked over to the two girls, who were standing next to the first machine in the row.

Alora handed him a face mask, the kind Muggle docter's wear that cover the nose and mouth. Diana and Alora were already wearing theirs, as well as some plastic saftey glasses. "Put it on. There's going to be sawdust everywhere in a minute, and believe me, you don't want sawdust in your mouth, or even worse, your nose. Hurts like hell, that."

She turned to the chunky machine in front of them. "This one will shape the wood. The wand length should be the same as the length of your forearm, from elbow to wrist, and it should be about as big around as your pinky finger. I don't know what Ollivander thinks he's doing. They premake the wands and only match up the wood and core. The size and shape of the wand is important too. You'll always have better results with a custom made wand, built to match you personally. Anyhow..."

Alora took the wood Diana had matched up with, a sturdy branch of American Sycamore, and set it down on a tray on the outside of the machine. She then took a measuring tape and swiftly checked the length of Diana's forearm and the circumference of her little finger. She went to a small control panel on the side of the machine. It looked much like a Muggle calculator. She typed in the numbers, then pulled a lever next to the panel.

The tray tilted, tipping the wood into a slot in the machine. They watched as a mechanical arm came down and grabbed hold of the wood, holding it in place as two large blades came down, slicing the sides of the stick off. The arm turned the stick onto one of it's newly flat sides, and the blades cut again, forming the wood into a rectangular shape. The larger blades moved away and four smaller blades came down, trimming the edges off and making the stick into an octagonal prism.

The long, thin stick was picked up by the mechanical arm then, and it swung over to a device that had what appeared to be sandpaper attached to it. The sandpaper stuff was pushed against the stick and wrapped around it, than it started spinning around it. When this piece of machinery was finished with it's job, it pulled away, showing the stick. All the edges had been sanded off, and it was now perfectly smooth and cylindrical. Alora had been right. There was sawdust and wood shavings everywhere now.

The final touch was a razor sharp blade coming down to swiftly slice through the stick, cutting it down to the proper length. Then the mechanical arm brought the stick over to another tray on the end of the machine, dropping it. The tray tilted up, dumping the wood into a slot on the side of the machine that allowed the stick to come out.

Alora put on a pair of dragon-hide gloves and went to pick it up out of the outside tray. She lifted the wood carefully and brought it over to the table. She laid it down on a layer of glass that was protecting a section of the table, then took Diana's feather out of her pocket. Alora carefully tied the feather to the stick with some handmade twine. She then reached for a jar filled with a viscous potion, shimmering silver in color. She dipped two fingers into the potion and smeared it over the feather and stick so that the entire thing was coated with the potion.

"This potion will make the feather sink into the wood and settle in the center. It also acts as a bonding agent," Alora said as she then took a rag and began to rub the potion in. As they watched, the feather slowly sank through the wood until there was no trace of it. The twine, loosened now, slipped off the end of the stick. Alora now took a clean rag and wiped off the extra potion.

"Why not just spell it clean?" Harry asked.

"It's important to use as little magic as possible to shape and put together the wand. Using magic directly on the wand could taint it, and then it's not as powerful. You see, each time you use magic, it leaves a magical signature, if you will. Using spells to clean the wand would embed traces of magic that shouldn't be there within it. That's also why all wand cleaning supplies are completely nonmagical." She rubbed off the last bit of potion and moved over to the next machine.

This machine was a thick tube-shape, roughly three feet long, and held up on a stand, with a crank on the side. There were two openings on the top, each with a funnel leading into it. One was in the middle and the other at the front end. At the opposite end was a tray to catch the wand as it came out.

A small table sat next to the contraption, several jars of a thin fluid stacked on top of it. The liquid looked almost like molten wax. Alora slipped the nearly completed wand into a slot at the front end of the tube. Only the first inch or so went in. The rest of the wood stuck out.

"This one will put a sealer on the wand to protect the wood and core, and polish it," she said, taking one of the jars and opening it. She carefully poured the liquid into the two funnels until they were full. She set down the now empty jar on the table and started to turn the crank. The wand slowly was drawn fully into the tube. She continued turning the crank for about two minutes before the wand appeared at the other end. It dropped out onto the tray, and Alora stopped turning the crank, wiping some sweat from her brow.

"Let's go see how it turned out," she said cheerfully. The three went over to the other end of the machine and Alora lifted the wand up off the tray, holding it gently in her dragonhide gloves. She looked closely at it, turning it over in her hands. "Looks alright," she moved over to the table on the other side of the room.

This table was covered with leather and metal crafting tools. A large set of cabinets next to the desk was entirely made up out of rows of boxes. The compartments were filled with small metal rings of different sizes and metals. A smaller cabinet on the other side was filled with leather strips. A wooden chair was set in front of the desk.

"Now we do the grip," Alora said. She scanned down the rings cabinet until she found the right size. "Okay, for type of metal, we got silver, gold, steel, copper, bronze, and platinum. Which do you want?"

"Silver, please," Diana said. Alora opened the little drawer and pulled out two silver rings. Harry noticed that they were a little big to fit onto the wand. In fact, they were large enough that they would slip off easily. "Ummm, Alora, I think those are too big."

"Patience, Harry," she chided softly, "They need to be a little big. Just wait a moment. Diana, what color leather?"

"Cream color," she answered. Alora grabbed a handfull of leather strips in that color and sat down at the table.

"Diana, give me your hand."

The Guardian complied, and Alora placed it around the wand about where the grip would be. Putting a finger to mark where the end of the grip would be, she removed Diana's hand and slipped the first ring onto the end of the wand.

Then she took some leather straps and laid the end of the strips against the wand where the grip would start. She wrapped them around tightly, laying them flat against the wood. She stopped wrapping the strips for a moment and pushed the ring down so it was forced over the leather, pinching it tight against the wood.

The first ring secured for the moment, Alora continued wrapping the long leather strips around the handle until she reached the end. Next she took the other ring and forced it over the end.

She then reached for a jar of potion sitting on the corner of the desk. She spooned some of it out of the jar and dribbled it in between the rings and the wood, sealing the rings in place. The substance hardened quickly, leaving no gap between rings and wood. The wand was finished.

"All done. Now all that's left is to test it," she handed the finished wand to Diana, "Would you do the honors?"

Diana lift the wand and swished it down. However, rather than emit some weak sparks, like Ollivanders' wands did, the custom-made wand let out a burst of the same bright silvery-white light that Diana had given off as she fell, and several shimmery white feathers burst out of the end.

"Excellent!" Alora said, pleased. Diana lowered the wand, smiling brightly.

The good mood was destroyed instantly by an explosion followed by screams of terror from outside.

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Draco was just paying for the clothing when the store next door exploded. Within minutes, the clothing shop he was in had erupted into flames as well. The terrified shoppers ran for the door, shoving Draco along in the mob. Once outside, the terrified screams of the villagers and students seemed to multiply.

Draco froze in shock and fear, his mouth hanging open. Marching down the street was an army of Death Eaters, in full battle regalia. He watched as they smote down anyone in their path, hurling hexes and curses into the buildings as they passed. Some of them bore more weapons than just their wands; swords and daggers that they used to cut down the terrified civilians even as they ran. A few Death Eaters even had bows and arrows.

Draco woke up to reality a moment later, when he was shoved from behind.

"Out of my way, kid!" the man said in a panicked voice, running off after shoving Draco to the ground. In his panic, Draco didn't even think to get up to run. He simply started scrambling on his hands and knees in the opposite direction of the Death Eaters. He didn't stop until he had made it to a narrow alleyway at the end of the store. He crawled into the space and stood, pressing himself against the side of the building to try and hide.

He wasn't ready for this. He knew what the Death Eaters were doing was wrong, but he didn't dare openly defy them. He peeked his head out to see what was going on. The Death Eaters had broken ranks to spread out, in order to torture and kill as many people as they could find. As Draco watched in horror, a Death Eater with an enormous sword brutally decapitated a Hogwarts student. Draco recognized him as a third year member of the Ravenclaw Quidditch team. Draco turned away and vomited on the ground. Oh Merlin, what was he going to do?

A familiar voice shouting from outside the alley caught his attention, and he looked again. Diana and Harry were out there, trying to incapacitate as many Death Eaters and save as many people as they could. Draco watched as Harry stopped next to a small child cowering in the middle of the street next to a dead witch, her mother. She was crying and clutching a stuffed unicorn. She couldn't have been more than four years old.

Harry scooped up the child and held her close to him, keeping one hand free to hold onto his wand. Diana led them over to an overturned cart, the horse that had been pulling it dead. She, Harry, and the child took refuge behind it, Harry sending curses everywhere while Diana used her newly made wand to erect several sheilds around them and cast a few healing spells on the little girl.

Harry stood and moved out and around to the front of the cart to duel with a Death Eater coming to them. Draco watched as they traded curses and spells for a while before Harry finally hit him with a stunner. He followed it up with a body bind and pocketed the man's wand for good measure.

He stood up straight, and started looking for other foes.

He never noticed the archer positioned on the roof of a nearby building until it was too late.

Harry was twisted halfway around by the impact of the arrow. It hit him in his shoulder. Draco watched in horror as Harry blinked and looked down at the arrow sticking out of his chest in shock and pain before collapsing in the street.

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End Chapter 3.

Mwahahahahaha…cliffie! I hope the long chapter makes up for the wait, and you won't be too angry to leave a review? (makes puppy eyes) Keep in mind, the more reviews, the more in the mood I am for writing this! (wink wink)


	4. Venom

Author's Note: Language, violence, gay guy stuff… just my usual drama. There is some gore in this chapter though, if that bothers you. 

Disclaimer: (sigh) still not mine…obviously…

As a note for those who have read this story before, I didn't really like how the first couple of chapters turned out the first time, so while I am trying to get over my writer's block for chapter five, I am rewriting parts of the first four chapters. That's why this may seem different than before.

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Ch 4) Venom

Ron and Hermione were inside the Three Broomsticks when they heard the screams from outside. The entire pub had fallen deathly silent, everyone looking over to the doors and front windows.

Then quite suddenly the window crashed inwards, causing everyone to scream. The wizard who had been thrown through the window landed hard on the floor, sliding into a table and crashing it to the ground.

He did not get up.

Immediately the patrons of the pub fell into a panic, joining the terrified villagers and shoppers outside. Ron and Hermione ran for the door, stopping short when they saw the Death Eaters in the street.

"Come on, Ron!" Hermione said as she took off further into the village, skirting down an alley so as not to be seen by the Death Eaters.

"Um, Hermione," said Ron as he chased after her, "Shouldn't we be heading _towards_ the school rather than _away_ from it?"

"Harry!" she answered.

"Oh yeah."

Ron sped up.

They continued to run through the village, calling for Harry and stunning and petrifying Death Eaters as they went. They came to a small courtyard in which about five Death Eaters had ganged up on a small group of people and stopped short.

Harry lay on his back on the ground, an arrow embedded in his right shoulder. Crouched next to him was a young woman with short blonde hair, casting healing spells on him. A little girl clutching a stuffed Unicorn sniffled next to them. Standing in between them and the Death Eaters, defending them as the young woman tried to heal Harry, was a lone Draco Malfoy.

With a shout, Ron and Hermione came at the Death Eaters from behind, aiding their Slytherin classmate. He gave no sign that he had noticed their coming, just continued to send hexes at the Death Eaters.

The battle never seemed to end. Everytime it seemed the Death Eater's were finally defeated, another couple would show up. Ron and Hermione worked their way across the battle field to stand next to Draco, shielding Harry and the two girls as best as they could.

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Diana was terribly frightened. The arrow had come out fairly cleanly and easily, but the wound itself was resisting all the healing spells she tried. If it had been Draco, it probably would've healed easier. But Harry was not her charge, and therefore, her healing magic wasn't as effective on him. And there was something else blocking the spells as well.

"Draco!" she called. "Get over here!" the blonde was immediately by her and Harry's sides.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't heal Harry's wound. We need to get him to the school infirmary, now!"

"Okay," Draco made to stand, but Diana grabbed his forearm.

"Just relax," She said. She did not release her grip on his arm, but pulled the little girl close to her. "Hold on tight, sweetheart," she said, and wordlessly the little girl flung her arms around Diana's neck, clutching her toy tightly in one hand.

Diana put her other hand on Harry's good shoulder and closed her eyes, concentrating hard.

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Hermione and Ron ganged up on the last Death Eater, Hermione hitting him with a body-bind, while Ron used a disarming charm. That taken care of, Hermione turned to go to Harry.

"We need to get him to the school infirmary now!" the blonde girl was saying.

Hermione heard Draco agree, and the girl caught hold of his arm. She pulled the small child close to her and put a hand on Harry's shoulder. Then, with a flash of silvery-white light, the four of them disappeared, a puff of glittery feathers left behind in their wake.

"What about us?" Hermione murmured as she and Ron stared in shock.

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When the Aurors and mediwizards finally started arriving in mass, the Death Eaters apparated out, leaving their own wounded and captured behind. Mediwizards carted the injured to either the village clinic or Saint Mungo's, depending on how serious the injury. Aurors were patrolling the streets, searching out and capturing all Death Eaters left behind.

Ron and Hermione saw nothing of this, though. They were hurrying as quickly as possible back to Hogwarts. They ran down the path to the carriages and made their way to the Hospital Wing.

Throwing open the doors, they found Madame Pomfrey tending to Harry, who was unconscious on his usual bed. Draco was sitting on the bed across the room from him, holding the little girl in his lap. She had her face buried in his chest and was crying quietly.

Several students that had been in Hogsmeade filled the other beds. The mediwizards had deemed their superficial cuts, bruises, and burns well enough to not require Saint Mungo's, and had sent them back to the school. Diana was moving from bed to bed, helping Madame Pomfrey by tending to the other students while the school mediwitch saw to Harry.

Knowing they would only be in the way if they ran to Harry's side while Pomfrey was working, Hermione grabbed Ron's elbow and steered him over to Draco's bed.

They sat down on the bed next to him. He didn't look up, but continued rubbing the little girl's back, soothing her.

"How is he?" Hermione asked cautiously, still wary around the blonde Slytherin despite his nearly catatonic state as he stared at his rival on the bed.

"I don't know yet," he said. He still didn't look up and seemingly didn't realize who he was talking to either. "I don't know how it happened. One minute he's fighting, the next he's on the ground with an arrow in his shoulder."

They fell silent for a moment, all three of them watching as Madame Pomfrey rushed about Harry in a frenzy, trying to stabilize him. Hermione was crying, afraid for her friend's life. Ron was chewing on his lip, brow furrowed and Hermione thought she could see tears glinting in his eyes. Draco just stared at his rival's unmoving form.

The Slytherin jumped as a blanket was draped around his shoulders and looked up into eyes that looked exactly like his own. "Diana…?" he said slowly.

"Take it easy, sweetie, you're going into shock." She poured a glass of water from the pitcher next to the bed and swapped it to Draco for the child, taking the little girl and laying her down on the bed, casting a light sleeping spell on her. Then Diana sat down next to Draco an pulled him into an embrace. He tensed at first, then relaxed into the embrace with a soft sigh.

The moment was ruined, predictably, by Ron using his mouth before he could think about what he was saying.

"What is this, twincest or something? You two must be siblings."

Hermione elbowed Ron in the ribcage while Diana snorted, and Draco finally snapped out of his stupor in favor of looking at Ron. His expression quickly went from shocked to offended to angry.

"What, are you stupid, Weasel? Have you seen a twin sister of mine around Hogwarts during the past five years? I'm an only child!"

"I'm Draco's Guardian." Diana said, still chuckling.

"I thought Draco lived with his parents." Hermione said, eying the pair of them critically.

"Not that kind of guardian. I'm his Guardian Angel."

Ron stared at her in awe, but Hermione just laughed. "Oh please! You don't really expect us to believe that, do you? The Malfoys really are an inbred family of crazy people."

Ron and Diana frowned at her disbelief, but Draco's eyes flashed at the crack about his family. "You're one to talk about screwed up families, _Mudblood_!"

Ron stood, eyes blazing. But before he could do or say anything he was cut off by Diana smacking Draco on the back of the head. "Draco," she said warningly, "What did I tell you about that?"

"Sorry, Diana," he muttered. She raised her eyebrows, eyes hardening slightly. He sighed in exasperation and turned to the two Gryffindors. He stood and went to where Hermione was sitting, catching her hand and bringing it to his lips, kissing the back of her hand, much to Hermione's shock. Ron seethed next to her.

"I'm terribly sorry, Miss Granger," he said, "I apologize for my rudeness and beg your forgiveness."

"Apology accepted," she said faintly. He nodded and let go of her hand, then went to sit back down next to Diana.

"In any case, Hermione," Diana said, "I may have been watching Draco rather than you, but I can tell you're the scientific type; you have to see it to believe it. So there's only one way I can prove it to you."

She took out her brand new wand and handed it to her. Hermione frowned and took it. "Check the core type," Diana advised.

Hermione looked at her suspiciously and cast a handy little charm that gave a detailed description of the wand it was cast on. A roll of parchment popped into existence over Diana's wand and dropped into Hermione's lap. She picked it up and unrolled it, scanning the writing on it. She lowered the parchment and looked at Diana, frowning. "Guardian Angel feather?" she inquired.

"Guardians can only use a wand that has one their own feathers as the core. See, we don't use wands the same way wizards and witches do. We use them to draw out our Guardian powers when in human form. We can use our powers without one, but it's much easier to draw out and focus when we have a wand."

Hermione nodded, looking thoughtful, "So you are one, then. I thought they were only legend." She looked up. "But wasn't there a law against nonhuman creatures possessing a wand?"

Diana laughed. "Do you really think that we would worry about the petty rules mortals set up if it messed with our ability to help our charge? No. I'm here for a reason, and no silly rule is going to hamper that. In any case, Guardians aren't applicable to that law anyways, because when physically on Earth, we _are_ human."

"So why are you here? You're Draco's Guardian, and you're on Earth, so what was it you came to help him with?" Hermione asked.

It was Draco who answered this time. "That, Granger, is none of your business," he said sharply.

She blushed slightly. "Sorry," she said softly, "I didn't mean to pry."

"It's okay," he said.

At this time, Madame Pomfrey came over to them, wiping the sweat from her brow. "Thanks for taking care of the other kids, Diana. I appreciate the help."

"How's Harry?" Ron asked.

The mediwitch sighed and glanced back at the Gryffindor, who was still lying unconscious on the bed. "Well, I managed to stabilize his condition and get him to swallow a blood replenishing potion. He'll likely be unconscious for some time though."

"How come?" Ron asked. "If you've taken care of everything, then why shouldn't he wake up?"

"That's just the problem, Mr. Weasley," she said. "I can't take care of everything. There was some sort of poison on the arrow that's resisting all the healing spells I try. I've managed to slow the poison, but I can't find a spell or potion to help with the effects or cure it, and I don't recognize the poison. It's preventing me from healing the wound as well."

She sighed and glanced back over at Harry again. "I'm afraid I haven't the slightest idea of how to heal him."

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After he left the Hospital Wing, Draco headed straight for the Headmaster's office. When he got there, Dumbledore was just leaving, on his way to the infirmary to check on the students that had been at Hogsmeade. The Headmaster sent Draco into his office and told him to wait there, saying that he'd be back soon.

Draco went up the revolving staircase and sat down in one of the chairs in front of the desk. He sighed and tried to relax, running a trembling hand through his hair.

When he had seen Harry fall, he felt as though his insides were contracting. Everything felt tight, compressed, and then there was this release, where everything sort of snapped.

Before he had known what he was doing he found himself standing over Harry's fallen body, hurling hexes and curses at any Death Eater that came near. The archer that had shot Harry, Draco had hit with a blasting hex, hurling him off the roof and down to the ground on the other side of the building.

Everything during the battle had been a blur to Draco. Hex, dodge, curse, block, dodge, disarm, hex…a continuous cycle, where all he could see was Harry, and Death Eaters, and the light of the magic. Diana had been behind him, frantically trying to heal the Gryffindor. The little girl was wailing. The Death Eaters were laughing…Everything was spinning, whirling too fast to see.

Draco let out a sob and curled up in the chair, his head spinning. His eyes shut tightly, he tried to escape the horrible images rushing through his mind.

He felt a cool hand on his face, and heard a soft deep voice speaking to him. A cup of cool liquid was held to his lips, and he drank it without protest. Vaguely through the turmoil in his mind, he recognized the taste of a calming potion. His head and vision cleared and the concerned face of his godfather swam into view in front of him.

"Are you alright, Draco?" Severus said. Draco nodded.

"Just thinking about what happened today." Severus' face softened, and he pulled Draco into a hug.

"No one your age should have to deal with war," the Potions Master said.

"Not even Potter?" Draco whispered into Severus' chest.

"No, Draco. Not even Potter."

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Severus waited with Draco for the Headmaster's return. When Dumbledore finally came back, he looked at them and smiled. "Ah, Severus, Mr. Malfoy, what can I do for you?"

Draco looked up at Severus, waiting for his teacher to go first, thinking that whatever he had come for would probably be important. Severus just looked at Draco expectantly.

"Go ahead, Draco. I'm just here for 'moral support'," he said dryly, his lips curling slightly in amusement.

Draco blinked, then nodded and took a breath before turning back to the Headmaster.

"Sir, I need your help."

Dumbledore said nothing, just watched Draco's face carefully. "Well, you know that my father and several other Death Eater's were broken out of Azkaban over the summer?"

The Headmaster nodded.

"Well, Father sent me a letter. He wants me to join the ranks of the Death Eaters."

"And you don't want to?" Dumbledore guessed, eyes twinkling madly.

Draco shook his head. "No. I don't."

"And how exactly would you like me to help with this, Mr. Malfoy?"

"I need protection for my mother and myself."

Dumbledore leaned forward in his seat, listening intently.

"My parents had an arranged marriage. Mother had been forced into it, and she had me when she was only seventeen. She and my father hate each other with a passion, but Father tries his hardest to maintain the appearance of a perfect little family in public. That's one reason why we rarely go out as a family, because Mother resists this 'public image boosting' as much as she can.

"Mother does not support the Light, but neither does she support the Dark Lord. She wishes to remain neutral, but lately Father's been pressuring her to become a Death Eater.

"I…I fought against the Death Eater's today in Hogsmeade. If Father or any of the other Death Eaters find me after that, they won't hesitate to kill me for 'betraying the cause.'

"My father isn't staying at Malfoy Manor. I don't know where he is, but I am worried that when he hears I've chosen the Light over the Dark, he would hurt Mother to get back at me."

Draco looked down at his lap. "I was wondering if you could help me get my mother here, where she would be safe?"

Dumbledore smiled at the young Slytherin, eye-twinkle on at full power. "Of course Mr. Malfoy, I believe that can be arranged." Draco looked up, a grateful smile on his face in place of his usual smirk. "In fact, why don't you and Severus go Floo to Malfoy Manor right now and bring back Mrs. Malfoy, and I'll have the House Elves set up some rooms for her."

"Thank you, sir!" Draco said. He leapt up from his seat and he and Severus went over to the floo.

"Let me go first, Draco, and see if it's clear," Severus said, "Wait for me to Floo call back before you come through, allright?"

Draco nodded, and Severus stepped through the Floo, shouting, "Malfoy Manor!"

Draco and the headmaster waited a few minutes before Severus' head appeared in the flames.

"All clear, Draco, come on through." He said, and pulled back.

Before going through, Draco turned to the headmaster. "Thank you, sir," he said, "For everything."

And with that he stepped through the fire, calling out his destination as he did so.

Other grates rushed past in a whirl of colors, and quite suddenly he was tumbling out onto the hearth of the Entry Hall fireplace at Malfoy Manor. Severus caught him, keeping him from falling.

"Thanks, Sev," he said, standing up straight and brushing the soot off.

Draco stepped purposefully from the room and headed to his Mother's wing. She refused to sleep in the same room as Lucius, so she had been given her own wing of the house as her rooms.

"MOTHER!" he yelled. Severus winced. "Draco, must you be so loud?" he asked, rubbing his ears.

"Yes," the blonde replied cheekily, "I must. MOTHER!"

"Draco?" They looked up to the top of the stairs they were to see Narcissa Malfoy standing there, looking at them questioningly. Draco ran up the rest of the way and gave his mother a hug and a kiss on the cheek, which she returned before speaking.

"Severus, Draco, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at school?"

"We came to get you, Mother," Draco said, "Fetch your things, you're coming back to Hogwarts with us."

"What? Why? Draco, what's going on?"

"Mum, we don't have much time to explain. Come on!" taking her hand, Draco led her over to her bedroom. He pulled a suitcase (charmed to be bigger on the inside than the outside) and summoned a House Elf to start putting clothes in it.

"Mum, pack up anything you want to keep."

"Not until you explain what's going on, Draco," she said imperiously, her tone allowing no argument.

Draco sighed and led her over to a chair while Severus started gather books and knick knacks off the shelves and tables in the other room, packing them into another charmed suitcase.

"Hogsmeade was attacked this morning by the Death Eaters," Narcissa's eyes widened, but Draco continued before she could say anything. "I don't know if Father was there, but if word of this reaches him – " he took a breath and let it out slowly. "Mother, I fought against them. I've made my decision. I won't let Father rule my life any longer. I am siding with the Light.

"I'm not going to try and get you to take sides, Mum. I know you want to stay neutral. But I can't risk Father hurting you or forcing you to become a Death Eater because of me. So I'm taking you back to Hogwarts with me. You'll be safe there."

"Draco," Narcissa started, "I…I don't know. He might find out…"

"So what if he does? He can't reach either of us at Hogwarts, Mother. He won't be able to hurt us there."

Narcissa eyed her son's face carefully. He was determined, she saw. He was indeed, a Malfoy. "Alright, Draco. I'll come."

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The next couple of days passed slowly. Narcissa settled into her new rooms fairly easily. She sat with the staff at meal times, and spent her time during the day aiding the Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor during classes.

Harry had slipped into a coma. Neither Madame Pomfrey nor Professor Snape were able to identify the poison. They had called in a few poison specialists from Saint Mungo's, and they couldn't figure it out either. None of the other victims from Hogsmeade had been infected, so they assumed that the Death Eaters had come only with Harry in mind for the poison. Not even Dumbledore could tell what the poison was or how to cure it.

Dumbledore had sent a message to Remus the day that Harry had been hurt, letting him know what had happened. The second day of Harry's coma, Remus came to Hogwarts to stay with him. He sat next to Harry night and day, refusing to leave his side. Madame Pomfrey had to set up the bed next to Harry, just so Remus would get some rest.

A message had also been sent to the Dursleys, alerting them of their nephew's condition. There was no reply, and the Dursleys did not come.

When they weren't in class, Ron and Hermione stayed with Harry constantly. The school mediwitch practically had to throw them out when meals and curfew came.

The little girl that Harry had saved had not spoken since the attack. They didn't even know her name, and none of the parents with missing children from the Hogsmeade Massacre had claimed her. She was quite jumpy and fearful, and flinched away from everyone but Draco and Diana. Madame Pomfrey thought that since Draco, Diana, and Harry were the ones to protect her in the attack, they were the only ones she trusted. The little girl spent quite a bit of time at Harry's bedside with Diana and Draco.

Often at night, when Madame Pomfrey was sleeping, Draco would sneak into the Hospital Wing and sit with Harry. Much of the time, Diana was watching from the shadows, keeping an eye on her charge, though Draco never knew she was there.

Diana cornered Draco a few days after the Hogsmeade Massacre. She talked to him about his joining the Light side. She was very pleased with his decision. Draco had asked if now that he had chosen, would she leave and go back to Haven.

"No," Diana had said, smiling. "I could, since my mission was only to help you choose, and you have chosen. But I can tell there are going to be hard times ahead, and I think it best if I stay until the end of the war, whether the Light wins or loses, to help you. I can leave at any time, but I want to stay. I want to be able to better protect you."

Draco had smiled at that.

Over the next two weeks, Harry's condition worsened. His breathing was labored, and he seemed to constantly be having nightmares that refused to go away. There was bruising around his eyes, as though he'd been punched. He was so pale, and he had a horribly high fever. Either Diana or Madame Pomfrey had to stay with him at all times to keep an eye on his condition. They had already had one scare when he had stopped breathing, but Diana and Madame Pomfrey had managed to get him to start again.

Still, Harry did not wake up.

During the times they spent together next to Harry's bed, Ron, Hermione, and Draco did not speak much. Ron and Hermione actually didn't say much of anything. Draco would only speak to Diana for the most part.

Once Hermione had tried to speak to Draco.

"Thank you," she said.

He jumped and looked up at her. "For what, Granger?"

"For protecting him."

Draco's eyes dimmed and he looked down

"Don't," he whispered. "I didn't protect him. If I had come out of that alley sooner, if I had gone to help, then he wouldn't be stuck here like this. He wouldn't be – "

"Don't you dare say it, Draco Malfoy. Harry is not going to die. He's a survivor, he always has been. He'll make it. As for protecting him, yes, you did. You didn't have to, but you protected him. You can't spend your time thinking about what you could've done. There's no point in it. You can't change the past, but you can make the future. There is nothing you can do to change what happened."

He didn't answer.

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It had been three weeks since the attack. It was Friday evening, just after dinner. Remus, Ron, Hermione, Draco, and Diana were sitting around Harry's bed. The little girl had been sitting on Draco's lap, but when she fell asleep he had brought her to her room and put her to bed. Since his mother had come to Hogwarts, Draco had been given his own room that was attached to hers, and the little girl and Diana each had an attached room to the Malfoy's suite as well.

Remus sighed softly and leaned forward in his chair.

"Please wake up, Harry," the werewolf whispered. "Please pull through."

Tears gathered in Remus' eyes, and he reached out to take Harry's hand, which lay limply on the bed. Remus frowned. Harry's hand was icy cold. He looked carefully at Harry, noticing just how pale he was.

A sniffle behind him alerted Remus that Hermione was crying again.

The group fell silent again. None of them noticed a streak of white-gold light pass the window.

"We're losing him," came a soft voice, and the rest of the group turned to look at Draco. "He's dying," Draco continued, looking up at Diana, "Isn't he? And there's nothing we can do to stop it."

"Draco," Diana said, "Don't talk like that. He'll make it. He will, you'll see."

Draco shook his head, "No, he won't!"

Hermione started to cry louder. "Draco!" Diana said warningly.

"Don't you get it?" the Slytherin yelled suddenly, jumping to his feet. Harry whimpered and shifted slightly, and they all fell silent, watching Harry intently. Remus squeezed Harry's hand gently, but received no response. When Harry didn't move, they heaved a collective sigh of disappointment, and Draco continued, quieter so as not to disturb Harry.

"It has been three weeks. If he was going to get better, he would've woken up by now. No one can figure out what kind of poison it is, and unless they find out, they can't fix it. He is going to die."

"Shut up, Malfoy!" Hermione said angrily through her tears. "Just shut up! He will get better! He will! He has to, and he will! Right, Ron? Remus, Diana?" She looked around to the others for support. Ron said nothing, and Remus just looked down at Harry again, eyes filling with tears. Diana sighed.

"Hermione, I don't know. I just don't know. Draco's right about one thing; we don't know anything about this poison, and without knowing what it is, we have no way of fighting it. Madame Pomfrey, Professor Snape and I are trying our best to figure out an antidote, but it's proving very resistant to everything we've tried. What's more, the poison appears to be almost like a sort of fungus; it's growing. There's more of it everyday, slowly spreading through his system and filling up his veins."

She sighed again and looked at Harry's pale face as he twitched, caught up in another nightmare. "I tried using my Guardians' powers to heal him, but my healing magic isn't compatible enough to work with his body and magic. My magic is attuned to Draco, not Harry. I can't heal him. I'm starting to get the feeling that the only thing able to cure him of this poison would be –"

She was interrupted by the doors to the Hospital Wing banging open. The humans stared at the person standing in the doorway as Diana finished her sentence with a triumphant smile.

" –his own Guardian Angel."

For a moment, Hermione thought it _was_ Harry, and that he was alright, and the past three weeks had just been a horrible nightmare. Then reality came crashing back, and she saw that the boy in the doorway wasn't her friend. He wore no glasses, and he had no scar. But his face, and his eyes…it was all Harry.

Harry's Guardian surveyed the room quickly, his bare chest heaving as he breathed heavily, leaning against the door. Several glittery solid black feathers, the only remnants of the wings he had once borne, clung to his loose black pants, shimmery black robes, and his familiarly messy black hair. Barefoot, he rushed over to where Harry lay on the bed, taking no notice of the others as they stared at him. Remus, Ron, and Hermione moved to block him from reaching Harry, not trusting yet that he was there to help, but Diana put out an arm to stop them.

The Guardian wordlessly pulled the covers down, exposing the large bandage that covered Harry's injured shoulder and most of his chest. Taking a ornate dagger out of his belt, he cut the bandage away, revealing the wound.

It looked nasty and painful. The hole from the arrow had not healed at all in the three weeks since Harry obtained the injury, and the flesh around it had turned an angry red. You could literally see the poison through his skin; it was blue and black and had spread through every vein and capillary in his shoulder. It was slowly spreading down his arm and across his neck and chest. The humans recoiled at the horrible sight, but the Guardian just examined the wound carefully.

He put a hand over the arrow wound, feeling Harry flinch slightly and then relax. The flesh was hot, very different from the cold skin of Harry's face and hands. The Guardian drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out, eyes closed. A white-gold light enveloped his hand, illuminating his face.

Diana and the humans watched carefully as the Guardian worked his magic through Harry's shoulder. Slowly, he lifted his hand away from the wound, closing his fist and drawing it close to his chest, as though he was pulling something. As he did this, they watched in horror and amazement as a thick blue-black liquid was drawn from the wound. It moved slowly, as though it were resisting the pull, but it came out, the blue-black color in the blood vessels in Harry's shoulder shrinking back to the open wound and coming out.

Diana quickly went and fetched a large basin, holding it in both hands and standing close to the new Guardian. He manipulated the viscous material over to land in the basin, where it landed with a sloshy thud. Diana brought the basin over to the table at the end of the bed, placing a containment charm around it to keep people out and the poison in. Professor Snape would need to have a look later, to do some tests and see if he could figure out an antidote, just in case they ran across this poison again.

Once the poison was cleansed from Harry's system, the Guardian healed the wound, new clear skin replacing the bloody wound. The flesh around it was still red and irritated, and the Guardian stroked it lightly with a finger before blowing on it gently, soothing it and causing the skin to turn pale and smooth. It looked as though Harry had never been shot with the arrow in the first place. His breathing, heartbeat, and body temperature had regulated, and the color returned to his face. He stopped twitching and slept peacefully.

The Guardian heaved a sigh of relief and stepped back. He turned to the group of humans to find them all staring at him, jaws on the floor. He smiled weakly, looking more like Harry than ever. "Hi…"

And with that, he collapsed to the floor.

Ron and Draco leaped forward and pulled him to his feet, one supporting him on either side while Hermione went to fetch Madame Pomfrey. A few moments later the mediwitch hurried out of her office and went over to the bed next to Harry's, where they had laid the Guardian down.

She stared at the half-conscious Guardian for a moment, then turned to stare at Harry, sleeping peacefully in his bed. She glanced back at the Guardian, who was being tended to by Diana, and went to check on Harry. She cast a diagnostic spell and read the roll of parchement. She looked up at Remus, Ron, and Hermione, who were waiting for her to give them news.

"He's going to be fine. He's just sleeping now."

The group let out the breaths they had been holding, smiles appearing on their faces for the first time in weeks.

"However, he may be sleeping a while yet," she added. "He is perfectly healthy, but his body is exhausted from fighting off the poison for three weeks. He'll be fine, though, given enough rest."

She glanced over at the Guardian and decided that Diana was handling the situation fine and did not require any help, then went back to her office after casting a spell to alert her when Harry woke. She needed to write down her report and let the Headmaster know.

The humans turned their attention to Harry's Guardian, who was laying limply in the bed.

"So, you're Harry's Guardian, then?" Ron asked.

" m'Orion," he murmured sleepily. "An' yeah, m'Harry's Guardian."

He yawned. "Tired," he muttered, and Diana pulled the covers out from under him and tugged them up to his chin.

"Well, duh," she said, pulling a few of the jet black feathers from his hair. "You busted through the Barrier, no small feat there, and then proceeded to bring Harry back from the brink of death. Of course you're tired. Sleep, Orion."

She took one of the feathers as Orion fell asleep, bringing it back over to Harry's bed. She put the feather in his hand and curled his hand closed around it. "It'll give him good dreams," she explained at the other's inquisitive looks.

Harry smiled in his sleep.

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End Chapter 4

That seemed like a good place to stop it. You like?

Whoo! My b-day present to you was long, ne? Happy sixteenth birthday to me!

Maybe you could give me a birthday gift by way of nice reviews:) :) :)


	5. The Guardian's Plan

Author's Note: Language, violence, gay guy stuff… just my usual drama 

Disclaimer: (sigh) still not mine…obviously…

New chapter…w00t…

As a note for those who have read this story before, I didn't really like how the first couple of chapters turned out the first time, so I rewrote parts of the first four chapters before beginning this one. I hope the newer version made more sense and turned out better. I also changed the summary. I think the old one wasn't very intriguing, because I don't have very many hits on it (cries).

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Ch 5) The Guardian's Plan

Hermione shifted in the uncomfortable armchair, heaving a sigh. It had been four days since Orion's first appearance and subsequent healing of Harry's wounds and poisoning, but the Gryffindor still had yet to wake. The whole group remaining at his bedside, including Hermione, Ron, Remus, the two Guardians, and Draco, were all becoming jumpy and irritable, constantly sniping and growling at one another. Before, when Harry had been at death's door, the whole lot of them had been subdued and depressed, but now…

"Granger, would you quit that bloody fidgeting already!" Draco snapped. Hermione glared back with a vengeance, though she did stop bouncing her leg up and down, huffing indignantly but holding her tongue.

Gods, but this waiting period was almost more nerve-wracking than the time of Harry's actual sickness, because, by all rights, Harry was perfectly healthy and should have woken any moment.

"Shut up, Malfoy," Ron snarled, coming to the bushy-haired witches defense. His hatred for Malfoy had not been shrunk by the hours spent together at Harry's side. If anything, it had grown worse. "I don't know why you're even here, you and Harry hate each other! Why don't you just leave us alone already!"

"Ron," Remus said warningly, "Calm down. Draco isn't hurting anyone by his presence."

"He's bloody annoying me!"

"Oh, shut up, Weasel! The world does not revolve around you!"

"Draco, stop it!" Diana reprimanded, but her charge just folded his arms across his chest and glared at the redhead.

"Ron, would you quit already," Hermione sighed in exhasperation. "Just let it go!"

He turned on her, eyes flashing. "Oh, so now you're taking _his_ side? You're supposed to be _my_ friend Hermione! Not his!"

"Ronald Weasley, I can choose to be friends with whoever I wish! Don't you dare say who I can and cannot be friends with!"

"Would both of you please stop?" Diana said in frustration, combing a hand through her short blond hair.

"Stay out of this!" Ron yelled at her.

"Hey, leave her alone Weasel!"

"Ron, apologize now! There's no need for you to take out your frustration on us!"

"I won't apologize until he does!"

"Why should _I_ apologize? What _for_?"

"Am I interrupting something?"

At the sound of the weak scratchy voice everyone gasped and turned to the limp figure on the bed, who was looking around at them with confused bright green eyes.

"HARRY!" Everyone yelled at once, and almost immediately he was surrounded by two Gryffindor classmates and one Werewolf, all three alternating between hugging the now-thoroughly confused teen, crying tears of joy, and laughing hysterically. The tense, angry atmosphere from earlier had dissappeared entirely, leaving behind an ecstatic, gleeful, one in it's place.

Madame Pomfrey had come out of her office while Ron was trying to pick a fight with Malfoy, but before she could throw him out, Harry suddenly woke (which wasn't all that surprising with all that racket) and the argument was forgotten.

The school nurse walked over to where the two Guardians were standing at the side of the bed, large grins spread across each of their faces. The three stood watching the spectacle by the bed, silent for a moment before Diana finally spoke up.

"You did a good job on healing him, Orion, he doesn't seem to be feeling any after effects at all at the moment."

"Yes," he agreed nodding, "But I'll want to double-check as soon as they're all finished mobbing him."

"And I'll want to get a final check-up for my final report," Madame Pomfrey added in. The other two nodded, and then Orion spoke again.

"Actually, I feel it would be best if he spent at least a few more nights in here, away from all the chaos of the school. He's still bound to be completely exhausted."

"I concur," Madame Pomfrey said, and smiled fondly as Harry spoke with one of his friends for the first time in almost four weeks, his voice rough from disuse, but animated and energetic.

As for Draco, he hung back, sitting still in his chair with his hands clenching the arms. He just stared at the noisy congregation for a few moments, then pinched himself to make sure he hadn't just fallen asleep and dreamed this. Ow! Nope, not a dream. He continued to watch until, after Remus and Ron helped him sit up, Harry began speaking, confirming that he really had woken.

After assuring himself that Harry was indeed awake, Draco took advantage of the confusion to slip out the door.

Harry's attention soon shifted from his friends to the look-alike standing to the side of his bed. He blinked. "Er…did I miss something?"

Orion grinned and stepped a little closer to the head of the bed. "Hello Harry. I'm Orion."

"So…I assume that you're _my_ Guardian Angel?"

Orion nodded. "Do you remember what happened?"

Harry frowned and thought hard for a moment. "The Death Eaters attacked the village…I remember getting hit in the chest by…something…an arrow?" He looked up at the others, confused.

"Why the hell were the Death Eaters using arrows?"

"Voldemort has more than just wizards under his thrall, Harry," Remus said. Some of the Death Eaters there were magical creatures, similar to human in shape, but unable to use magic the way we do."

Harry nodded, and Orion continued. "The arrow that hit you had some sort of strange poison on it. My magic is highly attuned to you, so my healing magic has a better affect on you than, say, Diana's would. She was able to keep you alive, but not cure you. I had to come down here and use my healing magic to pull the poison out of your system."

"Oh," Harry said, thinking that over. Suddenly, his eyes flicked up to find Ron and Hermione's. "What happened after I passed out?" his eyes darted over to Diana, "The little girl – "

"She's fine," the female Angel cut in. "I brought her with us when I transported us back here. We haven't found her parents yet, and she seems to have lost her voice, because she hasn't said a word to anybody since the attack. She also is afraid of nearly everyone except for you, me, and Draco, because we were the ones who saved her."

Harry's brow furrowed. "Draco was there?"

"He showed up just as soon as you passed out. He saved your life Harry," she said solemnly.

Hermione nodded in agreement. "He was defending you, Diana, and the child when Ron and I finally found you. He protected you right up until Diana was able to transport you all here to the hospital wing."

She stopped and looked around. "Now that I think about it…where _is _Draco?"

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The boy in question was currently standing at the foot of the Astronomy Tower, right where he had met Harry the night Diana showed up. He leaned back against the wall with a sigh, crossing his arms and taking in a deep shuddering breath.

It seemed like it had been years since he had first seen Diana, sitting up in the hospital bed with a smile on her face. So much had happened in the mere month since that he was uncertain where to go from here.

Diana had been very very good for him, and he was glad she had come. Whenever he talked with her, things either became even more confusing, or, and this was drastically more common, simply and wonderfully clear. The one thing that he couldn't seem to figure out were his feelings for Potter and the other Gryffindorks.

Harry and he had been enemies for so long, and now, he didn't know what they were anymore. Granted, for most of the time since they had stopped being at each other's throats all the time Harry had been unconscious, but still. Draco found he could not hate the boy. In fact when he thought back on their relationship, he didn't know if he had _ever_ hated Harry.

His father had been a huge driving force behind much of his actions throughout his life. Parents often are. The one who raises you will always be the one with the most influence over who you turn out to be. Lucius had tried to mold Draco into the perfect heir to the Malfoy name. The requirements were pretty exact and narrow; do not associate with Muggles, do not associate with Mudbloods, do not do anything to tarnish the family name and reputation, do not give in to others unless absolutely nessecary for survival.

Of course, such actions trapped him in with other people just like him, in the same position, disabling him from developing his own opinions and ideas without risking bodily harm. That was another reason why he had started coming here to the Astronomy Tower at night in the first place.

Lucius had encouraged his 'hatred' of Potter, though he did try his best to keep Draco from acting on it. The last thing he needed was the Light side out for his only son and heir's blood because he had injured their golden boy.

But Draco did not want to hate Harry Potter. All he wanted was to be near this amazing person, this startling soul who was the first person to ever deny him something he wanted. At the time, Draco had been outraged that Harry rejected his friendship. He was Draco Malfoy! How dare that lowborn half-blood deny him!

But soon his intitial anger had given way to intrigue. He was curious about this person; how did he have the courage (or was it stupidity?) to say no to Draco Malfoy? Why would he prefer the company of common folk with no ambition or future like the Weasel and that Granger? Why did he do the things he did? What made him tick?

Draco was determined to find out. And so he remained as close to Potter as possible. And hey, you keep you enemies closer than your friends, right?

So he had proclaimed Harry Potter his mortal enemy, his biggest rival. Anything Potter had, Draco had to challenge him for it.

Until now…Now things were different. Even before Diana had come, after his father had been placed in Azkaban for a few weeks over the summer, the Slytherin had found himself highly reluctant to antagonize his previous rival… though the other Gryffindorks were still fair game, nameless faces caught in the crossfire. He was just tired of it, tired of everything to do with the Malfoy name and all it entailed.

And now he had chosen a side. His father was going to be so angry with him, but he couldn't bring himself to care. His mother was safely away from the manor, and he had nothing left to lose.

Except him.

Harry was the reason for everything. He had provided a focal point for Draco since he started Hogwarts, and now, he was the reason Draco had finally chosen a side. So soon after choosing, Harry almost died. And Draco almost lost his reason.

But he didn't. Harry was still alive. And that was all that mattered. Harry was alright.

He was alright.

Draco didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

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That evening, while everyone else was eating dinner in the Great Hall, Draco went to visit Harry, who was still recovering from his ordeal in the Hospital Wing. He was asleep when Draco entered the room, and the Slytherin found that even after seeing Harry unconscious for the past four weeks, he did not have the heart to wake him.

He pulled over one of the arm chairs and sat down with a sigh. Sitting on the edge of his seat and leaning forward so that he was supporting his weight with his elbows on his knees, Draco carefully looked over the Boy-Who-Lived.

Harry still looked a little pale, though that might simply have been because he hadn't been outside in weeks. He slept peacefully, only occasionally twitching as he dreamed. Nutrition supplements had sustained him since he fell into the coma, but they were nowhere near as good as having real food. Because of this, Harry looked skinnier than usual, and seemed very tiny in the hospital bed.

Draco's eyes drifted back up to land on the dark-haired teens face, and he jumped when he found a set of emerald green eyes staring back at him.

Harry gave a small smile and wet his lips, whispering. "Hey,"

"You're awake," Draco said, blinking.

Harry grinned again in amusement. "Yeah, I'm awake."

"I…_we_ – weren't sure if you'd ever wake up," the Slytherin said, "You were in a coma for three weeks."

"So I've been told," Harry answered, "What about you? Were you hurt? No one said anything."

Draco felt his heart jump a little. Harry had asked after him? "No, I'm fine. I wasn't injured."

Harry smiled again. "I'm glad." He expression turned more serious. "Hermione said you saved my life. She said you defended me after I passed out."

Draco shifted uncomfortably and looked down at his lap.

"I want to thank you, Draco, for protecting me. And also," Harry paused, waiting for Draco to look up at him before continuing, "Thanks for not following the Dark Lord."

Draco sighed and leaned forward in his seat. He tried to find something to say, but was saved from having to reply when Harry went on.

"That was a very brave thing you did. I know your parents won't approve, but if it helps any, I'm glad you chose what you did."

Draco finally got his voice to work again. "I know. I am too. Father will be furious with me, but at least I still have my mother."

At Harry's confused expression, Draco elaborated. "Didn't anyone tell you? My mother doesn't support the Light or the Dark. I talked to Dumbledore, and he's allowing her to stay here, where she's safe from my father."

"Oh," Harry said, thinking over this new piece of information with a slight smile. "That's good, Draco. I'm glad you still have your mother to stand by you."

"I know," Draco murmured, "Me too."

The two shared a quiet moment while they both tried to gather their thoughts. Finally, Harry broke the silence. "What will you do now?"

Draco thought over the question carefully before answering. "I'm not sure. My mother is here with me, and Father is out with the Dark Lord, wherever they are hiding. Diana said she's finished her task, but she's still hanging around. I think…that she believes something is about to happen, and she wants to be here for me when it happens."

"Has Dumbledore talked to you yet? I mean, aside from agreeing to let your mother stay," Harry asked, his expression blank.

Draco frowned slightly. Something was a little off about the way Harry spoke about Dumbledore. "What do you mean by yet?"

Harry sighed slightly. "I'd have expected him to pounce on the opportunity the moment he suspected you were against Voldemort," he said, ignoring Draco's slight shudder at the name. "You going to answer my question?"

"I would if it was any of your business," Draco said, guarded, but not neccesarily angry.

Harry shrugged. "Whatever you want, Draco. Just be careful. Dumbledore isn't above manipulating people to get what he wants. He's just a lot more subtle about it than Voldemort is."

The blonde flinched again, and this time Harry frowned in irritation. "Oh, for God's sake, Draco get a grip! It's just a name."

Draco glared at him. "I know that. In case you haven't noticed, _Harry_, the entire magical world except for you and Dumbledore are afraid of that name!"

The two fell silent for a few moments, then Draco spoke again, softly. "Since when do you call me Draco?"

"I dunno. Since when do you call me Harry?" the bedridden Gryffindor retorted. Draco sneered at him, but Harry just grinned.

But then Draco's expression became serious once more. "Why are you warning me against Dumbledore? I thought you were on his little cheering squad."

Harry was quiet for a moment. "Well…Let's just say after certain things that happened last year, I really don't trust him. His logic is quite skewed at times, edging towards some end that I cannot see. And over the summer, I thought over a lot of the things that he has allowed to happen over the years since Voldemort killed my parents and disappeared."

Draco was intrigued. "Like what?"

Harry hesitated again, thinking. "Do you know," he said slowly, "that when I received my Hogwarts letter, they had to send it with Hagrid just to ensure that I would get it?" Harry sighed and nestled back onto the bed, turning his gaze onto the ceiling.

"In fact my whole life before Hogwarts was questionable. The Dursleys never really took care of me; I practically raised myself. They ensured I got food, clothes, shelter, and let me go to school, but they were never really there for me. They paid me no mind other than to ensure I got the barest of essentials. They never bought me anything they could get for free, they never gave me more food than was necessary. They didn't care when I came home black and blue from Dudley and his gang jumping me, and when I got a report from the school saying how I was doing so well in my classes that they wanted to bump me up a year, the only thing they had to say on the matter was did I honestly think they were stupid enough to not realize I was cheating?"

"But what has that got to do with Dumbledore?" Draco said, confused.

Harry looked at him, but he didn't respond, other than to continue his tale. "My bedroom was the cupboard under the stairs, right up until I got my Hogwarts letter. It was on the address: Mr. H. Potter, The Cupboard Under the Stairs, 4 Privet Drive. Dumbledore _had_ to have known about it. He knew I wasn't getting my letters, so he should've been aware I wasn't being treated right. Why didn't he do anything about it?

"And then, since the Dursley's kept taking my Hogwarts' letters and destroying them, he finally had Hagrid deliver the letter, to ensure I got it this time. Hagrid didn't even leave the Dursleys any time to argue. They didn't want me to go, and as much as it pains me to say this, I shouldn't have gone. The only reason they allowed it is because Hagrid threatened them and magicked a pig's tail onto Dudley's fat arse. But they _are_ my legal guardians; whether I liked it or not, what they said should have been the final word. It's not Dumbledore's, or Hagrid's, or anyone else's business if my guardians didn't want me to attend Hogwarts. That was between me and them, and yet, neither of us really even got a say in the matter.

"But what I really want to know is, why was I placed with the Dursleys at all? They obviously didn't want me, and Hagrid told me that he was the one to leave me on their doorstep. On whose orders? Dumbledore's. He's the headmaster of a school, not an Auror, or a ministry worker, or anybody with any authority to determine where I should have gone after being orphaned."

Harry fell silent then, staring off into space. Draco said nothing, trying to process this new information about the boy that he had at one time envied for being surrounded by love everywhere he went. He jumped slightly when Harry started speaking again, his voice soft and rough.

"And then when Hagrid came and introduced me to the Wizarding world, he only told me the basics of things I needed to know. Granted I like Hagrid very much, but he wasn't very suited to explaining the ways of the world; it's just not his strong point. And no one else bothered to show me the ropes. The one time I asked, I was brushed off. It's ironic really, I was raised by Muggles and everyone knew it, but because I was unaffected by one spell, everybody stuck me on this pedastal and expected me to automatically know every thing, and be this example of the perfect wizard, the heroic savior. Ron and Hermione were some of the few people to try and explain things to me, but even they expected me to know more than I did. And I was watched so carefully, by everybody, that I couldn't do anything to help myself.

"I tried buying some books on Wizard culture and laws my first year, but Hagrid told me to put them back, said I shouldn't need them. Then for most of the following years my things were either bought for me, or I didn't have enough time to read the books I did get. It didn't help that the Dursley's locked my stuff up over the summer holidays.

"And there's all of my little 'adventures' here at Hogwarts. You can't tell me that Dumbledore knows almost everything that goes on and yet doesn't realize what all me and Ron and 'Mione got into. That's a load of bull. He purposely let us do all of that, _encouraged_ it, even. And this is supposed to be the safest place in the Wizarding World?" he snorted in derision.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Draco broke the quiet. "So what will you do now? It doesn't sound like you're very pleased with the headmaster at all."

Harry sighed. "I don't know," he said, "I know one thing for certain; while I've no intention of letting Voldemort take over, I also have no intention of letting Dumbledore run my life ever again. This time, the fight will be on my terms. I refuse to be used anymore."

Draco nodded slowly. He stood suddenly and stretched. Harry watched as the Slytherin's sleeves slipped down around his arms as he stretched them up over his head, the muscles in his arms rippling. Harry's eyes went back to the blond's face when he began to speak again. "I understand why you told me to be careful around him. Thanks for the warning; I'll keep what you said in mind."

He glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's getting late, and you must still be exhausted. I'll let you get some rest." Draco turned then and stared to walk to the door.

When he reached the doorway he stopped and turned slightly to look back over his shoulder at Harry, who was busy snuggling under the warm covers in preparation of going to sleep.

"Oh, and Potter," he said, waiting to continue until Harry was looking back at him. "If you are planning on starting your own side, one that isn't Voldemort's or Dumbledore's…then you can count me in."

Harry smiled as he watched Draco leave the Hospital Wing.

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Meanwhile, at the top of the Astronomy Tower, the two Guardian Angels were having a discussion of their own.

"So you saved Harry's life. Was that your only reason for coming, or are you planning on staying here, like me?" Diana asked.

Orion looked up from where he was leaning against the door. "I didn't come just to save him from the poison," he said, "I came to help him with his task. Boy-Who-Lived or no, there's no possible way he could defeat Voldemort without assistance and training. Dumbledore is a fool if he thinks he can just shove Harry to the front of the line and expect Voldemort to go poof like he did the first time. Since no one seems very inclined to teaching Harry something useful, I thought I might step in, before everyone ends up dead or maimed. So I'll stay here until Harry defeats Voldemort and comes out of the fight alive."

"That's a tall order, my friend," Diana remarked. "You realize it's highly unlikely you will succeed. You might not get back to Haven on your own."

"Do you really think that matters?" he asked incredulously. "Whether it's under my own power after successfully helping to save the world, or after years of living as a human, lamenting my failure and the loss of my charge, I'll still eventually get back to Haven. No matter what the outcome of my mission, I'll be alright. I have nothing to lose. The only thing that matters to me is Harry and his safety."

Diana thought this over, and smiled. "I understand what you mean. I'll help too. I want to protect Draco."

Orion smiled back and nodded. "Good. I'll probably need your help with Harry's training anyways."

She frowned. "Why? What kind of training does he need, exactly?"

Orion waved a hand in dismissal. "You see soon enough."

"What is it Orion? There's something you're not telling me."

He eyed her thoughtfully. "So you haven't noticed anything yet? Strange. Considering you are Draco's Guardian, and what _his_ connection to Harry is, I would've thought you would've sensed it by now."

Diana's brow furrowed. "What are you getting at, Orion?"

He shrugged and turned to open the door, starting back down the stairs. "Harry is special. There's a reason he survived."

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End Chapter Five

Dear. Lord. it took FOR-EV-AR to get this written out! Almost a year since my last update on this story…. thanks everyone for being so patient with me, and I'm really sorry about the wait. I hope you like this chapter, and the next one will hopefull not take so long, especially I am now out of school (cries with happiness). On the other hand, I recently got a job as a swimming aide at the High school summer swim lessons. Yay me!

The next chapter is a VERY important one to the storyline, a major turning point, so please stay tuned! It should be out very soon, I've almost finished it. And make sure you remember to review for this chapter!


	6. Sirius' Story

Author's Note: Language, violence, gay guy stuff… just my usual drama 

Disclaimer: (sigh) still not mine…obviously…

w00t for fast updates! Just don't get too used to it…(sigh) I wish I had more time to write…

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Ch 6) Sirius' Story

The next few days Harry spent most of the time resting and recovering. During the time that he wasn't asleep, he was catching up with his friends while he simultaneously caught up on his schoolwork. He also had some time set aside each day when he and Orion would talk and let Harry get to know his Guardian better.

Harry had noticed that his Guardian Angel was very different from Diana. While she was almost happy-go-lucky, Orion was almost constantly serious. He rarely laughed, though he would often smile when he was with the teenage Gryffindor. He mother-henned Harry, but not so much that his charge felt smothered. It was more like the way Sirius had; wanting to be sure he was safe and well, but not restraining him from the things he wanted to do.

Orion was also sensitive about the topics of their conversation. He never pressed Harry on issues that he didn't wish to speak about, but rather was very patient. When Harry asked why he didn't push the matter, like Ron, Hermione, and the other people he knew, Orion replied that he trusted Harry. "You will talk with me about those things when you are ready, and not me or anyone else has any right to decide when that time is," the Guardian had told him.

After that first nighttime meeting, nearly every evening found Draco visiting Harry in the hospital wing while everyone else was at dinner. They would often talk, mostly argue, and sometimes just sit there in silence. Despite their previous relationship, Harry felt as though he was beginning to get to know his classmate on a much closer level. He even might have gone so far as to call them friends, if only tentative ones.

On this particular evening, the pair were talking about unimportant, nonsensical things when Orion and Diana came in.

"Hello Harry. Hello Draco," Orion called a greeting.

"Hey," Harry said back, smiling. Draco simply nodded a response.

"I'm sorry boys, but I'm afraid we're going to have to cut your discussion a little short tonight," Diana said. A disappointed look crossed Draco's face before it slipped into a slightly disdainful expression. He had let his mask slip for a moment there; he would have to be more careful. A superiptious glance over at Harry ensured Draco that the Gryffindor hadn't noticed. Mentally sighing, the Slytherin looked back over at the Guardians. "Why?" he asked, an undertone of a whine in his voice.

"Harry and I need to discuss some matters of great importance," Orion said closedly.

Draco nodded and rose from his seat by the bed. "Alright then. This isn't my business, I won't intrude on your privacy. I'll see you tomorrow, Potter."

He made to leave but stopped when Harry called his name. "You don't have to leave," the bedridden Gryffindor said. Was it just Draco, or did Harry look slightly distressed at him leaving? "Orion, is it something we can talk about with him here, because I honestly don't mind if he wants to stay."

Draco hesitated, looking over at the Guardian Angel's. Orion and Diana glanced at each other, and finally Harry's Guardian just shrugged. "Fine by me. You can stay, Draco."

Diana voiced her agreement. "In fact, it may be best for you to be here anyway, Draco-sweetie."

Draco nodded again and sat back down, while Orion and Diana pulled up some chairs to Harry's bed and made themselves comfortable. Once the others were settled in, Harry spoke again. "So what's up Orion? What did you need to talk about?"

Orion leaned forward, a his usual serious expression on his face. However, Harry noticed with some trepidation that his seriousness somehow seemed a lot more intense tonight. "I wanted to wait until you were stronger, or I would have told you all this earlier. I need to speak to you about Sirius."

Harry froze at the mention of his Godfather's name, and stared down at the covers on his lap. "I'd rather not talk about that right now."

"I'm sorry, Harry, but we must. There are some important things that you must know."

"Hold on, this is Sirius, as in, Sirius Black? The escaped convict?" Draco cried out incredulously.

"Aye," Orion said, "Sirius was Harry's godfather. He was framed by one of his and the Potter's close friends, the one that actually betrayed them. But there's a lot more to the story, stuff that almost no one, not even Remus, knows."

Finally, Harry's own painfilled eyes rose up from the covers to meet Orion's gaze. "What exactly do you mean by that? He and Remus were best friends," he said sharply.

"I intend to explain all of that, if you'll just let me. This is something you need to hear, for the good of the Wizarding World, as well as your own."

Harry sighed and squared his shoulders, looking at the others with determination. "Fair enough. What exactly about Sirius did you want to discuss?"

"Most of what I tell you will be about Sirius' life before you met him. Before you were ever born, in fact." Orion took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Harry, Sirius was a Guardian Angel."

Harry stared for a moment before beginning to laugh softly. "You've got to be kidding me, Orion. He was part of the Black family. He talked about them to me himself. He had their name, hell, he even inherited Grimmauld Place."

Orion nodded grimly. "Aye, he was raised by them. But that doesn't necessarily mean he was a genuine Black. Remember, he wasn't on the Black Family Tree tapestry. Now if you just listen, this will all make sense in a minute."

"As I said before, Sirius was a Guardian. His charge was the eldest son of the Blacks, a boy named Richard. Richard was Regulus Black's older brother. His parents, like most Dark purebloods, had been grooming him to treat Muggleborns with disdain and cruelty from his birth. It was among their dearest wishes and hopes for their sons to join Voldemort's Death Eaters together, and help lead the Wizarding World to what they thought of as greater things. Sirius, however wanted to prevent that. He knew that if Richard Black joined Voldemort, he would become one of the worst of humanity, and would die a ruined and horrible person.

"And so Sirius came to Earth hoping to protect Richard from Voldemort. He managed to persuade Richard that his parents' Pureblood ideas were not always correct. He managed to save his charge by bringing him to the Light side. At this time, Richard was about nine. Unfortunately, Voldemort found out.

"While Mr. and Mrs. Black were not Marked followers, they still offered him their support, both monetarily and by promising their children's service and allegiance to him. For his disobedience to the Dark Lord, Richard was killed by the Death Eaters. Sirius, having failed to protect his charge from death as he wished, was a failed Guardian, and thus was stranded on Earth – in a nine-year-old human body.

"He was unable to protect himself either. Held prisoner by the Blacks, with no way to access his Guardian powers or ask for help, Sirius was completely in their power."

Orion paused a moment, measuring the amount of shock and growing horror registering on the two teen's faces. He knew that they would need to hear this though, and continued.

"At this point, Voldemort came up with what he thought was a brilliant and foolproof plan. The Dark Lord bade the Black family "adopt" the outcast Guardian Angel, to gain more power over him. With a few toeing-the-line-of-illegality papers, it was done. Almost no one ever knew who Sirius really was. Richard had been young enough that he was mostly overlooked, and since Sirius looked exactly like him, the only difference to the average person was the name change, something they cared little about. It was easily overlooked. And so Sirius the Guardian Angel became Sirius Black.

"The Black family are long-practiced masters of torture and mind-control, which is why Voldemort had them hold Sirius prisoner. He wanted them to twist Sirius under his power, turn him into the Dark Lord's servant. Imagine the power Voldemort would have had at his disposal had they succeded; a veritable 'Angel of Death'! So the Black family tried different methods of torment, mind games, and all sorts of other things to attempt to turn him into a willing servant of Lord Voldemort.

"However, Sirius was stronger than they expected, despite the fact that he was in the form of a small Wizard-child. He resisted them for going on three years, whereupon he was accepted at Hogwarts. To keep up the ruse that he was an ordinary Wizard child, the Blacks allowed him to attend, confident that the other Death Eater's children, not to mention their own, would keep up his 'training'.

"When Sirius arrived at Hogwarts, he was sorted into Gryffindor. In this House he met the first humans since Richard died that treated him kindly: Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and James Potter. Sirius was ecstatic. Here he was free, unchecked and unrestrained by the Blacks. That's one reason why he became so close with James and the others, and why he was so into pranks and having fun. That was something he could not do before. They grew to replace the role that Richard had once held. Gradually, Sirius' human life grew to revolve around his friends.

"His treatment at the hands of the Black's and the other Death Eaters is also why he despised the Slytherins so much, talking James and the others into doing cruel pranks on them. For three years he had been tormented and forced into Dark Magic and other such things by a family that especially revered Slytherin and the Dark Arts. That's why he was so adamantly against Snape and the other Slytherins. He was terrified of them, and of what they could do to him. He was trying to fight back, to get rid of what he saw as a threat.

"When Sirius was equivalent to a sixteen-year-old, Voldemort and the Blacks got fed up with waiting for him to turn Dark. They threatened his life if he continuted to refuse to join them. For a failed Guardian, condemned to living as a human, death is an escape, a way of returning home to Haven. But he wanted to stop this tyranny, stop the Dark Lord. He wanted revenge for his charge, yes, but overall, he just wanted the pain and suffering to end. So instead of just letting them kill him, he let out a burst of his Guardian's magic, and just barely managed to get to James' house before he passed out for using so much raw magic. The Potter's nursed him back to health and for the first time, he told someone his secret. James and his family promised to help him and give him protection."

Again Orion paused, letting all that he had just told them sink in. Diana was eyeing both Draco and Harry with concern, the latter more than the former. He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. The real clincher was just around the corner. This would be difficult, both for Orion to tell it and for Harry to hear it. But it would have to come out sooner or later.

"You're not joking, are you?" Harry said in a hushed voice. "Sirius was a Guardian. But…what does that mean? Dumbledore said he was dead, because he fell through the Veil at the ministry."

"It's true that the Veil at the Ministry has never released a human once they had passed through," Diana spoke up. "Thus, for all intents and purposes, many people believe that it is a gateway to Death. Not even the Guardians know exactly what it does. At least, the average Guardians, like Orion and myself, do not. The Seraphs may know, however."

"Seraphs?" Draco questioned.

"The highest ranking Guardians. The Seraphs are basically the strongest of us, the most powerful. They are our leaders," Diana explained.

"In any case," Orion stated, "I am unsure what Sirius' passing through the Veil means. Who knows, we may even be able to help recall him from the world on the other side. As a Guardian, he is not meant to die the same way as humans are." Hesitating when he saw the hopeful expression on Harry's face, Orion felt it best to lay all the facts straight. "But that is a major maybe and/or what-if. I'll be sure to look into the matter more, but down let your hopes get too high, Harry."

The Gryffindor bit his lip and nodded, staring down at his blankets.

"However," Orion said, causing Harry to look back up at him, "I never finshed before. That's not all there is to Sirius' story. There's more, and this part is of even more importance than anything else I've said tonight, so listen carefully." The others fell silent then, giving him their full attention.

"Harry…James dated your mother for a short time during their seventh year, but after realizing the love between them was more like that of siblings, they decided that they would rather be just friends. That's when Sirius and Lily fell in love.

"Because the Black family and the Death Eaters were looking for something to give them an advantage over Sirius and get him back under their control, he and Lily didn't dare openly show their true relationship. Sirius knew that if Voldemort found out he was in love with someone, and a Muggleborn to boot, the Dark Lord would use that against him. So they went to James for help. After graduating, Sirius and Lily were married in secret while James and Lily had a very public 'official' wedding."

"Hold up!" Harry said, unable to contain himself any longer, "are you trying to say that _Sirius_ is my… my…"

"Yes Harry. Your true father is Sirius."

Dumbfounded, Harry could do no more than stare. Draco, too, was staring at the Guardian as though he had grown another head, his mouth opening and closing. Finally the blond found his voice. "But doesn't that mean…" the others' eyes flicked over to him, and he flushed before finishing his sentence. "Wouldn't that mean that Harry is a Guardian?"

"Whoa, whoa, time out, here!" Harry said, his eyes wide and panicked. "This has got to be some sort of a joke! Sirius can't be my father! I'm no Guardian Angel! There's no way that is possible! It would have shown some how! I don't look anything like Sirius at all, either. Ever since I came to the Wizarding world people have always told me I was the spitting image of my father – _James Potter_, NOT Sirius Black!"

Orion stood and went over to the bed putting his hands on Harry's shoulders placatingly. "I know Harry. I can explain each one of those.

"First off, if you have ever seen photos of James and Sirius together…people always said that one would think they were brothers. That wasn't just because they were inseperable, Harry. They also looked very similar. Sirius himself told you that all the pureblood families are interrelated; that includes the Blacks and the Potters. Richard and James had a closer family resemblance than most. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, their mothers were sisters. And Sirius, as Richard's Guardian, would have looked exactly like him.

"As for your Guardian heritage not showing… Why did the Cruciatus you cast on Bellatrix Lestrange last June not work? Why were you, out of the entire school, the only one able to throw off the Imperius – and in your fourth year, at that! Why are you the best out of all the students, and the teachers as well, at casting good, strong, defensive magic? It's not just the way the spell is cast, Harry. Your spells have such power, such force behind them, that very few Wizards can even come close to matching them. If you were to try your hand at healing magics, I have no doubt that you would excel at that as well. And Harry, how do you think you survived the Killing Curse as a baby?"

"My mother…" Harry started faintly

"Harry, don't be thick," Orion said. "It _was_ Dumbledore who told you that. And you can't possibly think that Lily Evans was the only parent to die trying to protect their child during the first Death Eater war. It was your Guardian blood coming through. We have higher immunities to certain kinds of magic, especially those of a darker nature. Some spells, like the Avada Kedavra, have little or no effect at all. With you, your blend of Guardian and Wizard blood not only made it so you were unaffected but it also rebounded back, hitting and killing Voldemort."

Harry said nothing, and Orion could see signs of his dawning comprehension of everything that had set him apart from the other students over the years. It was all coming together now.

"Setting aside the matter of your Guardian abilities for the moment, when Sirius and Lily were married, Sirius had refused to keep the name Black. So they were married under the name Evans. Your last name isn't really Potter, and neither is your first name Harry.

"It's an old Guardian tradition to name our children after mythological figures. Your mother agreed to the tradition, since Sirius had very little to cling to of his past as a Guardian. Do you want to know what your real name is, Harry?"

The Gryffindor hesitated before nodding silently.

"Alright. Your true name is Apollo, after the Greek god of light and music. Apollo Evans."

"Apollo…" Harry whispered softly, and then he fell silent as he tried to let it all sink in. If this was all real…Merlin, he didn't even want to think of the implications right now. A memory came to him then, words he had heard spoken by a swirling misty figure in a Pensieve just last June. "The power the Dark Lord knows not…" He murmured under his breath, quietly enough that the others could not hear him.

Harry shook his head, pushing the thought to the back of his mind as he tried to focus on the current conversation. "Is that everything? Or do I have some…long-lost twin sister from America, or something like that?" he said lightly, trying to gain some sense of normalcy before he ended up going mad.

Orion gave a short laugh and shook his head. "No, no. No twin sister. But this does mean that since you have inherited many of the skills of a Guardian, Diana and I will have to give you some training to learn to control your abilities."

Harry sighed. "Great," he said tiredly. "Just what I need."

He was interrupted from his moping by Draco smacking him up the backside of his head.

"OW! What was that for?!" Harry cried, glaring at his classmate.

"For being a numbskull," the blond Slytherin replied. "Don't you understand, Harry? This is the ultimate weapon! No one outside this room knows anything about this. If you keep this a secret, Dumbledore and Voldemort won't know what hit them. You have something now, something that neither of them has any control over. This is completely and utterly your own."

Harry's expression softened. Draco had a very good point. As long as no one else found out about this, he had a chance of having some amount of control over his own fate. "You guys can't tell anybody about this, okay? Please? Nobody outside this room, not even Ron and Hermione. I don't want anyone to know."

Orion and Diana nodded their agreement, and Draco said solemnly. "I swear Potter. No one will hear of this from me, I promise you."

Harry let out a small sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"Hey," Orion said, "You don't have to thank us. We're here to help you, Harry. You can count on that."

Harry nodded, but said nothing.

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End Chapter 6

My god this was a bitch to write. But hey! You got a fast update, right? Yay me!

Please review!


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